The Kubler-Ross Rollercoaster
by darkdestiney2000
Summary: The Kubler-Ross Model theorizes that there are five stages of grief: Denial, Bargaining, Anger, Depression, and Acceptance. Following the events of TASM2, The Avengers help Peter struggle through each stage. Companion to She Isn't Gwen and The Challenge. Spoilers for TASM2 and Agents of Shield. Five parts.
1. Denial

A/N: Hello everyone! This is an idea that I've been thinking about for quite some time. I really wanted to get it up before Captain America: Civil Way is released next week. The reason being that when I first thought about this concept and the ideas for my other stories, I pictured Andrew Garfield's version of Peter Parker. So this story has spoilers for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Agents of Shield. It has five parts and I'm planning on uploading a chapter a day. I do not own anything, including the music lyrics used in each chapter. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

* * *

"I'm covering my ears like a kid

When your words mean nothing, I go la la la

I'm turning up the volume when you speak

'Cause if my heart can't stop it,

I find a way to block it"

\- Naughty Boy feat. Sam Smith

Denial: Hours After

Steve paced the length of the hallway. Back and forth. Back and forth. His mind was reeling from the night's events. What had started out as an unremarkable evening had swiftly turned into one they would never be able to forget. Gwen was dead. It was a fact that Steve was struggling to wrap his head around, even after seeing Peter cradle her limp form. He knew that she was gone but there were so many unanswered questions. What had she been doing there in the first place? Peter never would have let her anywhere near a fight if he could help it. There were so many unanswered questions and only three people who could clarify them. The problem was that all three of them were gone in one way or another.

Currently, various members of SHIELD were scattered across the city picking up the pieces from the battle between Spider-Man and Electro. When he last checked, Coulson was handling the press. Tony was helping SHIELD comb through any and all footage of the fight at the power plant. Since Peter had taken his mask off, they needed to be sure that all footage was destroyed to protect his identity. Bruce was assisting Dr. Cho with her examination of Peter. Although he had discovered a way to use his web-shooters against Electro, Peter hadn't walked away from the fight without taking a few hits. And as Dr. Cho pointed out, there was a good chance that the electricity had damaged Peter's heart. Steve didn't disagree with the doctor, but he knew that the damage done to Peter's heart wasn't just from Electro. The sound of dress shoes on the linoleum halted Steve's pacing.

Steve turned to see Coulson striding towards him. His suit was immaculate, as always, but Steve could see that Coulson was just as sad as the rest of them. His eyes were dull and full of grief. The agent opened his mouth and then closed it without asking the question that was on the tip of his tongue. There was no point in asking how Peter was coping. They both knew he was bad off. Physically speaking, he would be fine. Nothing a little bed rest couldn't fix. His mental and emotional state was a completely different story. And for a moment, both men stood side-by-side and stared at the door at the end of the hallway. Peter was behind that door. Steve told himself that he was waiting for Dr. Cho to be done with her examination. But that was a lie. He didn't know what to say to Peter. He wasn't sure how to handle the situation. Instead, he turned on his heel and started pacing again. Coulson kept pace with him.

When they were on the opposite end of the hallway, Steve stopped. "Mrs. Stacy?" he asked in a low tone.

"I just spoke with Clint. The police are escorting her down to the coroner's office." Clint was currently keeping an eye on the Stacy family. After Harry had disappeared, Steve didn't want to risk him showing up at either Peter or Gwen's home. So Natasha was watching May Parker from a distance while Clint was with Gwen's family. Steve let Phil's words hang in the air. For what seemed like the thousandth time that day, he was at a loss for words. Of course, they would have to go through the motions. Mrs. Stacy would have to identify Gwen's body at the county morgue.

"How much did they tell her?"

"As much as they knew," Phil sighed and rubbed his weary eyes. "They asked an officer for help before Peter went to the power plant. As far as NYPD knows, she was helping Spider-Man and then rushed off after he webbed her to a car. A couple of the local news choppers got footage of her running Max over with the same car."

"Did they record," Steve swallowed hard. "Everything?"

"No," Phil shook his head. "They lost visibility when Harry dropped her and the fighting moved inside. As far as Mrs. Stacy knows, Gwen was trying to help and got caught in the crossfire."

"Isn't that what we all know?" Steve questioned.

"Do we even know what happened? Do we have the whole story?"

Sighing deeply, Steve turned to sink into a chair. Everyone had a job to do. His job as captain was to debrief the team and look out for everyone. It was a responsibility that he deeply dreaded at the moment. "I haven't been in to see him yet. From what I could make out, he was trying to catch her and something went wrong. He was hysterical when we got there. Did you get a look at the coroner's report?"

"Yes, but it isn't finalized yet. The preliminary report indicates that she died from a broken neck."

"So he couldn't get to her in time or he did but caught her wrong?" Steve thought aloud. "By the way he's blaming himself; I'm willing to bet it's the second." Phil didn't seem to have response to that. "What do you know from the video footage?"

Phil took up residence in the chair next to Steve. "From what we gathered from the news station and security cameras at the power plant, Peter and Max fought for a few minutes before she showed up. A majority of the cameras lost power or were destroyed during the fight. There is no audio so we don't know what was said between the two of them. From what tech can make out, Max had Peter in a tight spot when Gwen showed up. She ran him over with the car she was driving. When she got out, she and Peter started arguing about something."

"He was probably telling her to leave." Steve speculated.

"Probably," Phil agreed. "After that, the security camera inside the power plant shows her resetting the system. That is how Max was defeated. They used the electricity against him and basically overcharged him."

"Smart thinking," Steve said, softly. "I'm sure he didn't see that coming. I wish we could have found a way to help him though."

"I do too. But whatever they did to him at Oscorp pushed him over the edge. He was beyond saving at that point." Steve didn't have the energy to argue that topic.

"What happened next?"

"Someone, or something, showed up on a glider. They got into an argument. The last piece of footage we have is of him grabbing Gwen. After that, they moved out of the frame. But you all found them inside the clock tower. So we know that the fight moved there at some point."

"It was Harry on the glider." Until that point, Steve and Phil had been staring straight ahead while conversing. At Steve's comment, Phil whipped around to face The Super Soldier.

"Osborn?" Steve nodded. "How do you know? Did Peter tell you that?" Again, Steve nodded. "What else did he tell you?"

When Bucky fell in WWII, Steve had been certain that he would never forget a single detail of that moment. He would never be able to forget how bitter the wind had been. He would forever remember the desperation in his best friend's voice and eyes. Bucky's fall played over and over in his mind, sometimes on an endless loop if he let it. Steve was now positive that he would never forget the image of Peter crying over Gwen's body.

When he, Clint, and Natasha had arrived on the scene, the first thing that Steve took in was the lack of action. There were no bursts of electricity. Peter wasn't in a million places at once. The base of the clock tower felt like a battle ground but didn't sound or look like one. When they received Peter's distress signal, the plan had been to head straight for the power plant. But when Tony had arrived first and told them no one was there, they started to explore. Before long, Tony found broken glass and a very broken Peter. His voice was flat over the comm system in the Quinjet. "Call medical. It's Gwen." He had said. And then the line went dead.

Tony's lack of elaboration urged Clint to fly faster. While he landed and called in for reinforcements, Steve and Natasha charged off, ready for a fight that had already ended. Neither one of them knew what Gwen was doing there but both were ready to do whatever was necessary to help her. They weren't prepared for what they found.

At first, Steve didn't understand what he was looking at. His brain told him that Tony was standing in the middle of the room. Was he crying? If he was crying, what could be horrible enough to make him do so? He heard Natasha stop a few paces behind him but still didn't understand. There was a heap of limbs and clothing on the floor, and it took Steve a moment to realize that the red and blue mixed with blonde and mint green were two people. Peter had managed to tangle their bodies so closely that Steve couldn't tell where Gwen began and Peter ended. And then Peter's voice reached his ears. He lost count of the times Peter said 'please'. In the years that Steve had fought alongside Peter, he had never heard the teen beg. And there had been plenty of times and situations where begging would have been appropriate. Hearing the desperation in his voice made Steve lose the grip he had on his shield.

Steve found it difficult to look away and at the same time impossible to watch. He turned his attention to Tony, who spoke before Steve could ask the question. "I don't know what happened but she's dead." Of course, she was dead. Steve could tell without checking for a pulse that she was gone.

Tony's voice snapped Peter out of his daze. His eyes locked onto Steve's. "You have to help her." He choked out. "You have to help me." Peter's words were a knife in the stomach. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't do anything to help Gwen. Moving to Peter's side, and knowing what he would find, Steve pressed his fingers to the side of Gwen's neck. No pulse.

"Peter…" Steve started to speak but was cut off.

"It was Harry," he blurted out. This time the statement was directed at Tony. "He's up there. Don't let him get away." Tony took off to the top of the tower without a second thought. From there, Steve couldn't make sense of what Peter was trying to tell him. His voice rattled with grief. His mouth couldn't seem to work with his brain. It was almost as if his brain was trying to make him say things his heart wasn't ready to hear.

Steve felt Natasha fall into place beside him. "Peter," she said in a low voice. "Slow down." She gently removed his hands from Gwen's hair. Peter looked up for the first time. His face was drenched with tears. His chin quivered as more emotion wrecked his face. Breathing in deeply, he choked on a sob and started to cough and cry harder. Feeling that Peter needed to be physically grounded, Steve reached across Gwen's limp form and squeezed the back of Peter's neck.

"Take a deep breath, Pete. What happened? Are there any other hostiles in the area?" Peter struggled to draw air into his lungs. Fighting back a sob, he shook his head.

"I did this. I… I killed her." His voice was so heavy with emotion that the words blended together. He dropped his head to Gwen's once more and started to sob again. Natasha caught Steve's eye and could see that she was just as rattled as he was. From somewhere behind them, Clint shifted his weight.

"SHIELD is on the way. He needs to put his mask on before they show up. NYPD isn't far behind." He said in a low tone.

"No." For the first time since arriving on the scene, Peter didn't sound erratic. "I'm not putting it back on." Steve turned his attention back to Peter to see that he was now holding Gwen as if he needed to protect her from them.

"Peter," Clint tried to reason with him. Steve could see where Clint was coming from but didn't see how they could reason with Peter. Grief could make people do a lot of things that they normally wouldn't. There was a very good possibility Peter wasn't in control of his enhanced abilities, which meant that Steve would have to keep a close eye on him for his own safety (as well as the safety of everyone else).

"It doesn't matter!" He snapped. "Maybe it's time the world knew the truth about Spider-Man."

"You don't mean that," Natasha pointed out gently.

Peter opened his mouth to snap back at her when Steve cut him off. "You need to think about your aunt, Peter. You still have people to protect." This seemed to take the wind out of his sails. His shoulders slumped and he turned his attention back to Gwen. Tears continued to slip down his face.

Steve sensed that the police were there before he saw the flashing lights. Clint cursed under his breath. "SHIELD was supposed to get here first to run interference."

"Can you do it?" Steve asked. "Just until Phil gets here?"

"Yeah," Clint stowed his bow on his back. "Gwen will have to stay here." Steve could tell that Clint hated himself for saying that. No one liked the idea of leaving Gwen there but he was right. Taking her with them would be a red flag to NYPD. A local girl's dead body being taken by a covert branch of the government would raise many alarms. People would ask questions and wonder what part she played in the defeat of Electro. People would wonder if she had a connection to Spider-Man. If they were to protect Peter's identity, Gwen would have to stay behind.

"Peter, we need to move." He gave Peter the opportunity to make the decision to head toward the Quinjet. He saw the muscles in Peter's arms tense around Gwen. "Either put the mask on or get on the Quinjet."

"I can't put it back on," his voice was small. "But I can't leave her either." His eyes scanned the three of them.

"I'll stay with her, Pete." Clint sank to his knees on the other side of Steve. "I'll look out for her." He glanced over his shoulder at the flashing lights. "You need to go." This was directed at Steve. Typically, he would be the one to handle the press and police in Phil Coulson's absence. But they had a silent understanding. When Peter signed on as a consultant to SHIELD, Phil and Tony dug up all the information they could on him. It was then that they discovered Peter's antics from the time Ben Parker had been murdered up until The Lizard incident. Grief clouded Peter's judgment. And if he were to lash out, Clint and Natasha wouldn't be able to keep him in check.

Steve heard voices. They were getting close. Clint quickly moved in the direction of the noise in an attempt to stall them. Steve really hoped that Peter wouldn't force his hand. And luckily after a moment, Peter was able to shake himself out of his daze. He place one last kiss on Gwen's cool forehead and gently rested her back on the ground. Taking one final moment to adjust her mint green coat, he stood and drew in a shaky breath. From this angle Steve could see her neck didn't seem as stable as it should. Her head lolled just a little bit more than it should. Her neck was broken. But even in death, Gwen was gorgeous. Aside from the thin line of blood that trailed from her nose and the angle of her neck, she could have been resting. Her hair lined her head like a halo. She looked like a fallen angel.

Natasha was the first to move back to the Quinjet. Steve waited for Peter to follow before bringing up the rear. He expected Peter to resist some and the teen didn't disappoint. Half way to the Quinjet, he hesitated. But before he could turn and go back to Gwen, Steve threw an arm across his shoulders and drew him close. He could tell that Peter wanted to pull away but didn't give him the option. Hooking his shield onto his back, he kept his left arm tight around Peter and his right arm free in case he decided to fight back. Luckily, he didn't. At Steve's touch, the resistance faded from Peter's muscles and he let himself be led away from the scene. The pair was almost to the jet when Tony joined them. Giving Peter a slight nudge up the ramp, he turned to see Tony lifting the faceplate to speak.

"He's not there." Tony spoke in a low volume. "I can see where the fight happened and JARVIS has mapped out the building. But Osborn is gone."

"He could be anywhere," Steve sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "He could be doing anything."

"I could take a look around the area. He couldn't have gone too far." Tony suggested.

"Yeah, that's a good idea." Steve agreed. "Scan the area and see if you come up with anything. We'll go from there. We have to get him out of here before PD gets past Clint."

"Sounds like a plan," the faceplate dropped back into place.

"If you find him, bring him in. Let me know if you need back-up." Steve ordered and turned to walk up the ramp.

"Let me know if you need help with him." Tony nodded in Peter's direction. The two shared a look of understanding before going their separate ways.

They flew to SHIELD headquarters in silence. Steve couldn't decide what was worse: listening to Peter plead with Gwen or the deafening silence that followed. His eyes were distant and Steve knew it was no use trying to talk to him then. He might have been physically present but that was the extent of it.

"Dr. Cho was waiting for us when we showed up." Steve brought himself back to the present. "Tony didn't find anything. We have no idea where Harry is. He's working with the tech department to scrub any footage of Peter. I think he has JARVIS searching the local traffic cameras for anything on Harry."

"I find it hard to believe that no one saw him flying around," Phil agreed.

"It's just going to be a matter of finding the footage and going through it." Steve nodded.

"We might get lucky. He would have drawn a lot of attention." After a moment, Phil admitted. "If Oscorp picked him up, I'm not sure there is much we can do."

Steve made to argue that point when the door to Peter's room opened. Dr. Cho and Bruce made a beeline to them. Both men stood up in greeting.

"How's he doing?" Steve asked.

"He is stable. I don't see any permanent damage but I'd like to run a few more tests to be sure." Dr. Cho said.

"You don't need our approval," Phil reminded her. Dread filled Steve's stomach when she hesitated to respond.

"He wants to speak with you."

"We're not in any rush," Steve assured her. "It can wait until you're done."

"What she means to say is he won't let her do anything else until he talks to you." Bruce spoke up. "He's pretty adamant about it."

"Okay," Steve placed his shield over his shoulders and made to walk to the room when Bruce interrupted.

"He's asking for you too Phil." Phil's brow creased at this comment but he followed Steve nonetheless.

Steve led the way and entered the exam room first. There were no windows in the room, not even on the door. In addition, cameras were not placed along the hallway leading up to the room or in the room itself. Every possible precaution was taken to ensure Peter's identity remained a secret. The Super Soldier opened the door to find Peter perched on the bed. With his elbows resting on his knees, he looked up from his hands when the pair entered. At some point, he had changed from his Spider-Man get-up to a loose hospital gown. He looked slightly more composed than the last time Steve had seen him. While his eyes were still red and raw looking, he had stopped crying and shaking.

"Hey, Pete," Steve broke the silence. Phil closed the door behind him and nodded in greeting. For a second, no one knew what to say and then Peter and Phil spoke at the same time.

"Dr. Cho was saying…"

"Is TAHITI an option?"

Whatever weariness Phil had been feeling before that moment quickly evaporated. His expression turned stony and Steve felt the man tense up beside him. Few people knew what Project TAHITI was and even fewer talked about it. Following Phil Coulson's return from the grave, it was understood that the man did not support Fury's decision to resurrect him. As far as Steve knew, Clint and Natasha were the only ones on the team who knew the extent to which Phil had suffered. And the last he had heard, Phil had done everything in his power to shut down the project and make sure it was never used again. Whether he had meant to or not, Peter had hit a nerve. Steve could see that Peter didn't mean any harm by the statement but there was determination in his eyes. He wasn't going to let this go.

"No, it isn't an option." Phil's tone left no room for argument. Peter argued anyway.

"Why?" He fixed Phil with a look that made Steve's stomach roll.

"A number of reasons," Phil was quick to respond. "One, TAHITI is no longer active and hasn't been for years. Two, even if we could activate it again, it would take hours for everyone to get here. Three, I won't make that call. TAHITI is done. It was a project that never should have been in place."

"Last time I checked you didn't call the shots around here," Peter's temper flared. "I thought Fury was director. It's his call."

"You're right. It is his call. But he agrees with me. We have an understanding."

"You have an understanding?" Peter said slowly, as if he was trying to comprehend what was being said. Steve didn't need to possess a sixth sense to know that Peter was looking for a fight. Based on the way Coulson was handling the situation, the older man could also see that.

His tone softened marginally, "Peter, I know that you must feel…"

"You have no idea how I feel." His low tone cut Phil off mid-sentence. "I just killed Gwen. And you have a way to fix everything but you don't feel like sharing the secret."

"It wouldn't be right, Peter. You wouldn't want to put her through that." Phil argued.

"I sure as hell don't want her to be dead." He snapped back. "I have a responsibility to her! I failed her, Phil. Why won't you help me?" Steve could see Peter visibly fight with his grief and anger.

"If I thought it was the right thing to do, I would activate Project TAHITI. But I know that's not the answer."

"How can you say that?" Peter gasped with disbelief. With shaking hands, he pulled at his hair and looked to the ceiling, as if asking some high power for patience.

"Because I'm not the same person anymore," Phil confessed. "For a long time, I hated Fury for doing that to me. It's not natural. I changed. I can't tell you how much it hurt. I begged for the doctor to kill me every second of the procedure. It's not something that I would put my worst enemy through and I sure as hell won't let Gwen endure it. It's not an option, Peter." Phil's confession threw both Steve and Peter for a loop. Neither one had heard Phil speak so openly about what happened during Project TAHITI. It was clear to Steve that Phil's description of the process conflicted with Peter's thought process. Both men knew that Peter would have done anything to spare Gwen any form of pain (even though he was the cause a good bit of the time). Slowly, Peter's resolve crumbled and he sat on the edge of the bed again.

With his head in his hands again, Peter took a moment to gather himself. He looked so vulnerable in that moment. One arm slowly dropped to his chest and curled into his stomach like he was doing everything to hold himself together. Steve could tell that Peter had been banking on Phil agreeing to his idea.

Steve took a moment to spare Phil a look. It was obvious that having the conversation with Peter had taken a toll on him. He sent the older man a nod of understanding, letting him know that he understood and supported his line of thinking. If Project TAHITI had been a viable option, Phil wouldn't have hesitated. Taking a deep breath, Steve steered the conversation in a different direction. He pulled the chair that was at Peter's bedside so that he was facing his youngest teammate. Sitting down, he waited until he thought Peter had composed himself before saying, "At some point, I need for you to fill us in on what happened tonight. Sooner would be better than later. Dr. Cho wants to run some more tests. Debriefing can wait until tomorrow." He used the word debriefing in an attempt to distance himself from the situation. He and Peter were teammates and friends but Steve also had a job to do. An innocent girl was dead. And while he was positive Peter was blaming himself more than what was necessary, Steve still needed to know the details of the night. Spider-Man had defeated Electro and then gone on to fight an unexpected adversary. SHIELD would need all of the intel Peter could provide if they had any hope of figuring out what Harry was capable of let alone what he had evolved into.

Peter didn't acknowledge Steve's words. Steve hadn't expected him to. Instead, he closed the distance and squeezed the back of Peter's neck. He could feel Peter shaking beneath his touch but couldn't tell if it was from nerves or trying to hold himself together. After a moment, he nodded and Steve took that as a sign that he was ready for Dr. Cho to come back and finish her exam. Pushing back from the chair, he and Phil moved to exit the room.

"I killed her, Steve. What else do you need to know?" Peter's words stopped the pair in their tracks. They turned to find Peter staring at them. Or through them. It was hard to tell. He stared straight ahead as he spoke, robotically. His voice was void of emotion. Every sentence came across as a statement. "She was moving to England. I got that call… that she was accepted to Oxford. She called on her way to the airport. But I had to stop her. She needed to know that I loved her and that we weren't on different paths." Now his eyes shifted between Phil and Steve. Neither one was willing to break the moment. They simply stood and listened. After a breath, Peter continued as if they weren't present. He rambled more to himself than to them. "I was going to go with her. We could have made it work. I was ready to give it all up to follow her to England. But then the power went out." He took another deep breath before rushing forward with the story. Speaking so fast that he was out of breath, he fought to get every thought out. "The power went out and then we… Gwen… figured out a way to magnetize my web-shooters. I could fight Max without being barbequed. And she wanted to come." He blinked and looked at Steve again.

Getting off of the bed, he approached the pair. His voice was desperate. His voice and body quaked. Steve was tempted to steady him but resisted the urge. Part of him wanted to stop Peter there. He wanted to tell him it was okay and that they would find a way to fix this whole situation. But that would be a false hope. There was no fixing this situation. Running his hands through his hair, he continued. "I told her no. She wanted to help. She knew the grid specifications and how to reset the system. But I said no and webbed her hand to a car. I thought that would be enough! I thought that would be enough to stop her. It wasn't enough. She showed up in the middle of everything. She was right in the middle."

Peter's account of the night's events twisted Steve's heart. He didn't need to look at Phil to know that he shared the sentiment. A blind man could have seen how much Peter meant to Gwen. She would have done anything, paid any price, to help Peter in a fight. This wasn't the first time she had risked her life to aid him. Not long after Peter had joined the team, they met Gwen and learned of her role in the Curt Connors debacle. It took a certain amount of courage and selflessness to stay behind and create an antidote when you know danger is headed straight for you. On top of that, it took even more courage (or stupidity depending on how you looked at it) to hit a giant lizard with a plastic trophy in an attempt to save your boyfriend. No one could ever accuse Gwen Stacy of being a coward. There was no doubt in Steve's mind that Gwen did what she thought she had to do in order to save both Peter and countless other's lives. And as much as Steve wished she had made it out alive, he had nothing but respect for her decision. Gwen reminded him of a certain lady he had once known and loved.

"Peter…" Phil attempted to stop Peter's ramble. He ignored the older man and plowed on, pacing back and forth.

"I couldn't have done it without her. I needed her to reset the system at just the right time. And she did great! She was perfect, Phil. I'm alive because she showed up. She saved me. He had me down for the count when she showed up." He stopped moving long enough to turn to them and throw his hands in the air. "And for a minute, everything was right. Max had been defeated and we were both fine. We even had time to make her flight." His hands dropped and his face grew stormy. "But then Harry showed up. I didn't even know that it was him at first. He looked so sick and deranged that I didn't recognize him. And he didn't know I was Spider-Man. He didn't know it was me until he saw Gwen there. He took her because I didn't help him."

"You couldn't help him," Steve gently pointed out. Peter lashed out at him.

"That doesn't matter! She's gone! What does it matter if I could or couldn't help him? That's not the way he saw it. He took her to even the score." Harry might have looked deranged at the power plant but Steve couldn't find a better word to describe Peter at that moment. His hair stuck up at odd angles. His eyes were bloodshot and whirled around the room as if he were looking for something to hit. Steve fought the urge to reach for his shield. He had no doubt that he could handle Peter if it came down to that but preferred not to put Phil in the middle of a fight between two people with enhanced strength.

Peter blinked and the anger that was directed at Harry morphed into self-loathing. "He took her and as hard as I tried… I couldn't get her back. I tried everything I could think of. I couldn't reason with him. And when he dropped her, I knew I didn't have a choice. It was us or him." He swallowed hard and his body jerked. For a moment, Steve thought he was going to collapse but Peter composed himself again. He must have known that his legs wouldn't hold for much longer because he leaned against the hospital bed. "We were at the top of the clock tower. Harry had this glider that he was flying on. And he dropped her. I knew he would use her as a diversion. But she was all I could focus on. I caught her." His eyes locked onto Steve's. "And then I lost track of everything. He had these bombs and I put her in a safe place. But it wasn't safe enough. The next thing I know, he had me pinned and I had a web around his neck. And the more the gear of the clock moved, the more it choked him. But you want to know the real kicker?" Neither one answered. It was a rhetorical question. "Every time that clock ticked and that gear moved, it got a little bit closer to the web that Gwen was attached to." He chuckled darkly and pinned them with a look. "I couldn't stop time."

Air drained from Steve's lungs. If he let himself, he could picture the entire event going down. He could see Peter doing everything in his power to stop the gear from cutting Gwen's life line. Steve knew what it felt like to watch a loved one fall. He understood what it was to wish with every fiber of his being that he was just that much quicker. Bucky had been inches from his grasp. A split second separated Gwen from Heaven and Earth. That was a hard pill to swallow. It was something that still plagued Steve's mind. He knew it was no use telling Peter that Gwen's death wasn't his fault. He knew that Peter wouldn't believe him. He hadn't believed Peggy when she told him that after Bucky's fall. But it needed to be said.

"It wasn't your fault, Peter." Peter didn't respond but Steve could see him put up a wall between the two of them. "Gwen loved you. She would have done anything to help you in a fight. She wanted to protect you just as much as you wanted to protect her." He shook his head and looked away from Steve, like he was trying to find something else in the room to listen to. "If you need to blame someone, blame Harry." This seemed to get his attention.

"Where is he?" His tone was flat but Steve could hear the danger hidden in that question. He was ready for revenge. "Is he in the containment block?"

Steve opened his mouth and then quickly shut it. He didn't know how to tell Peter that they didn't have him in custody. He didn't have to say anything further. Peter picked up on what Steve hadn't said. His eyed flashed from Steve to Phil. For a moment, his denial was replaced with disbelief.

"You have got to be kidding me." Phil made to explain but Peter plowed right over any explanation he would have given. "You gotta be _fucking_ kidding me. He was right there! What do I have to do? Put a ribbon on him and hand deliver him to your front door?"

"We don't _currently_ have him in custody, Peter. But we are looking." Phil raised his voice over Peter.

"It's been hours! If you haven't found him by now, he's gone." Peter sputtered before adding, "Or Oscorp picked him up."

"We have every available person searching traffic camera footage and searching for him. We're doing the best that we can."

Peter's face turned stony at Phil's excuse. He turned his back on the pair and walked to the corner of the room where a spare change of clothes lay. With his back still turned to them, he slipped on a pair of jeans and tore off the hospital gown. When he turned back around and slipped an old T-shirt on, Steve could see the fall out of Peter's fight with both Max and Harry. Cuts and scorch marks marred his torso. Slight burns ringed his wrists. His webshooters might have allowed him to put up a fight against Max but they didn't protect him fully.

"Looks like 'our best' just wasn't good enough tonight," he snapped. "Your best wasn't enough. My best wasn't enough." He turned his back to them one more time and picked up a slip of red and blue material. Steve instantly recognized it as his Spider-Man suit. He tossed it into the trash can by the hospital bed.

"I know you're upset," Phil tried to reason with him.

"Upset isn't the word I would use to describe how I feel right now." He moved to walk by them when Steve stepped into his path. "Get out of my way, Steve."

"We just need some time, Peter."

He chuckled darkly. "Didn't you hear what I said earlier? You can't beat time, Phil." He tried again to step around Steve, only to be stopped again. "What do you want from me?"

"I want you to stop for a minute. Let us help you. Let Dr. Cho finish her exam." Peter cut him off.

"Is that an order?" He shot back. "You don't get it, Rogers. You can't help me. I'm not your problem anymore. If I were still on your team, I'd call Challenge but I'm not on your team anymore." Peter's words were like a punch to the gut. He never referred to Steve as Rogers. Even when they first met, Peter called him Cap or Steve. He could see that Peter was doing everything he could to distance himself from Steve and the others. It would make leaving easier. If he could fool himself into believing that he didn't care it wouldn't be impossible to walk away. "All of this, SHIELD, The Avengers, Spider-Man, is a joke. We can't get anything right. All we do is hurt people. Well, I won't be part of this anymore. I'm done."

"You don't mean that," Steve tried one more time to get through to him. "Gwen's death is awful but don't minimize all of the good you've done. Don't forget about all of the people you've helped."

"Those people and this city will be better off without me." This time when he moved to go around Steve he wasn't met with resistance. He stopped when he got to the door. Without turning, he said, "One day you're going to see what I mean. You'll realize that I was right."

"No, Pete," Steve sighed. "One day you're going to realize that Gwen wouldn't have wanted you to quit. You'll realize that what you needed was time to breathe not a permanent break. And when you realize that, we'll be here. Your team will be here waiting for you."

His words made Peter hesitate for a moment. Steve thought he had gotten through to him when Peter said. "I don't have a team anymore."

And then he was gone.

With a sigh, he sunk into the chair again and raked his fingers through his hair. Losing teammates was something Steve was familiar with. Typically, it was to death, or in his extreme case, time. This was different, though. Peter walking away was entirely different. He chose to leave.

He heard Phil move to the other side of the room and looked up in time to see him dig the red and blue fabric from the trash. "He'll be back." Phil said after a moment. Steve didn't feel confident agreeing with the older man. But he was hopeful that one day, Peter might find his way back to them.

A/N 2: Let me know what you thought!


	2. Bargaining

A/N: Thank you for the lovely reviews! The first chapter was the hardest to write. Let me know what you think of Part Two. As always, I own nothing.

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"No enemies to call my own

No porch light on to pull me home

And where I was is beautiful

Because I was free

Once upon another time

Before I knew which life was mine

Before I left the child behind me

I saw myself in summer nights

And stars lit up like candle light

I make my wish but mostly I believed…"

\- Sara Bareilles

Bargaining: Weeks after

The Lutheran Cemetery in Queens was massive.

Clint Barton could see the appeal of being laid to rest in a cemetery like this one. The New York skyline was prominent in the background and city planners had done their best to bring some natural beauty to the hallowed ground. Tombstones of all shapes and sizes graced the grounds. Some did a better job of standing up than others, but regardless each marker did its job of designating a final resting place for some lost soul.

In his line of work, thinking about death and planning your funeral was done without much comment. Like his partner in crime, he hadn't always been on the right side of the law (and there were plenty of times when the both of them flirted with that fine line). At one point in his life, the idea of someone bothering to honor him with a memorial or funeral probably would have made him roll over in his metaphorical grave. As his career path led from spy to assassin and then back again, he assumed he would be rolled into an unmarked grave when his number was up. After one Natasha Romanoff came into his life, that image morphed into a dual burial in a foreign land. Because surely one of them would not go down without the other. Clint couldn't image a battle where only one of them walked out.

But then life had thrown him another curveball in the form of Phil Coulson. Since joining SHIELD and joining Phil's ranks, Clint's life balanced out in a way he never thought possible. Clint's skill set (much like Natasha's) was limited in a very deadly way. And he never thought that he would have the opportunity to use said skills for 'good'. No doubt about it, they both had red in their ledger but both were slowly trying to atone for their sins. Phil made that possible and now that he was in Clint's life there was no doubt in his mind that he wouldn't end up in a nameless grave. When Clint's time was up, Phil would make sure Clint received the recognition Phil thought he deserved. That's not to say that Clint agreed with this sentiment. But if it made Phil happy, he wouldn't buck the idea.

Regardless of Clint's views on death and funerals, he was certain he had never been to one this heart wrenching. Technically speaking, he wasn't present. Physically, his body was at Lutheran Cemetery in Queens but his previously mentioned skill set made him practically invisible. He doubted that anyone would have really noticed him anyway. Grief has a way of clouding the mind and vision.

Numerous people had shown up for Gwen Stacy's funeral. From where he was stationed, Clint could make out Mrs. Stacy and Gwen's brothers. They were being swarmed by family members and Gwen's old classmates. The eulogy had ended a few moments before and keeping up with tradition everyone felt the need to offer some words of wisdom or comfort to the grieving family. No, he didn't need to hide in the shadows today. But Steve had thought it would be a good idea just to be on the safe side. The dozens of people present for the funeral were completely oblivious to the SHIELD agents and superheroes hidden in plain sight. Actually, one person realized what was going on but he made no attempt to make contact. At one point during the service, Peter's eyes had moved from one teammate to the next. He even picked up on the agents who were under cover. Whether that was from the training Clint and Natasha had given him or because Peter had known basically everyone in Gwen's life, Clint wasn't sure. But a small bubble of pride rose in Clint's chest when he saw Peter take notice of each and every one of them.

Some people were easier to spot than others. Tony, Pepper, Bruce, and Natasha didn't need to act the part. However, Stark did try to blend in so as not to pull attention from The Stacies. They stood as a group with Happy off to the side. It was perfectly logical for the five of them to be present at the service. If anyone asked, they were there to give Peter some support. Steve, Phil, Fury, Maria Hill, Thor, and Clint were a little harder to explain. And so each of them was strategically placed throughout the crowd.

There were a couple reasons why so many agents were in attendance that day. Firstly, neither Clint nor Steve believed that Osborn wouldn't show up to cause trouble. It wasn't likely to happen but no one was willing to take any chances. Phil had yet to pull the guard from the Stacies and probably wouldn't for a while. No one slept easy knowing that Harry had been picked up by Oscorp. It was one of the few places that SHIELD didn't have eyes and ears. It wasn't for lack of trying on Phil and Fury's part but sometimes the red tape was impossible to get through. Clint had volunteered to bypass the red tape but following the events of Electro's attack, they thought it best to play by the book. Phil was looking into leaking as much information as possible so that an investigation would be demanded by the public.

It was going to take time, and Clint was impatient at the moment. He, like the rest of them, wanted to burn Oscorp to the ground. Being impatient wasn't in Clint's nature and it made his fingers twitch and long for his bow. As a sniper and spy, patience, like self-control, was a valued virtue. However, at the moment, he wanted nothing more than to say 'screw it' and storm the Oscorp building with his team.

Instead, he used the other skills that were so perfectly honed. He watched the crowd with clear eyes and assessed every movement of every person at the grave site.

This assessment told him that they hadn't successfully completed what they'd set out to do. Mission not accomplished. Sure part of the reason for their presence was to act as protection. The second reason was so that they could all pay their respects. From his position, Clint could see that they were all doing this in their own way. Pepper was the only one of the group who was openly crying but that didn't mean that they weren't all grieving in their own way.

Clint could read Natasha like a book. And while he was certain that no one could see past the mask she currently wore, he could see the anger in her posture. She was stiff. She was looking for a fight. She wanted to be useful. There is nothing more frustrating than knowing where an enemy was holed up and doing nothing about it. Clint knew that she could feel his gaze but she didn't acknowledge him. Back ramrod straight, she handed Pepper a tissue from her hand bag.

Tony and Bruce stood on Pepper's other side. The formed rubbed a hand up and down her back while he spoke words of comfort to her. The latter stood with his back hunched and a blank expression. He had no advice to give on the topic. After a moment, the group moved to where Peter and May Parker stood. A few words were exchanged. Pepper hugged Peter hard and after a second he broke out of his daze to return the gesture. They were the only teammates who could approach the Parkers out in the open. Clint had no doubt they would sufficiently represent the team and attempt to fulfill the final part of the mission. While they all adored Gwen, there was no denying that part of the reason they were all there was to comfort Peter. Aside from accepting Pepper's hug, it was pretty obvious that he didn't want company from anyone including his aunt.

Shifting his gaze, he noted that the others were moving into position to leave the site as nonchalantly as possible. Steve hesitated for a moment, gaze locked on Gwen's casket. Clint wondered if he was sending up a prayer. After a moment, his stony face turned from the grave site. Catching Clint's eye briefly, he casually blended in with a group of people heading to the parking lot. Shortly after, Phil and Maria followed his lead. Having taken part of hundreds of missions, Clint had to admit that he was impressed with how everyone had blended in. Even Thor had done an excellent job of hiding in the shadows. They had all agreed that if anyone were to stand out it would be him and thus decided it was best for him to hang out in the back of the crowd. Clint had been prepared for someone to recognize The God of Thunder but thankfully no one seemed to pay Thor much mind when he was missing his cape and hammer.

Shifting his weight, Clint waited for the burial site to empty out. They had decided he would be the last to leave. No one else saw what he saw or moved in the shadows like he did. Keeping up appearances, Stark, Pepper, Natasha, Bruce, and Happy left the Parkers and headed out as a group. Soon after, Peter kissed May on the head and she too left. And then it was just the two of them, thirty yards apart. The lost expression on his youngest teammate's face made Clint's stomach clench. When Peter's eyes swiveled to Clint's, air caught in his lungs. He could approach him now. Even if someone was watching, and Clint didn't think anyone was, it would look like two people offering condolences.

The conflicting emotions on Peter's face held him in place. A strong gust of wind tousled his hair and pulled at his tie. Clint watched tears pour from his eyes and still he didn't approach. Because he knew Peter didn't want him to. The internal battle Peter was fighting took over his face. Clint could see that he didn't want to be comforted. He wanted to embrace the pain and release the emotions. He didn't want company but he didn't want to be alone either. The company he wanted was six feet under.

Clint gave him the slightest of nods, indicating that he understood. Keeping the distance between the two of them, he did the only thing he could to comfort his friend. He used his skill set to comfort from a distance. He listened to the sobs that wracked through Peter. He watched his back so Peter could be completely vulnerable without anything or anyone sneaking up on him. Patiently, he stood at the gravesite until a slight nod from Peter indicated that he had pulled himself together again and wanted to be alone. And then with all the control Clint Barton possessed, he forced himself to leave his teammate behind to fight his demons alone.

In the weeks following Gwen's death, the whole team coped with Peter's absence in one way or another. At first, Tony was quiet about the situation until he could no longer contain his thoughts. They all agreed that they wanted to reach out. They all also agreed that Tony shouldn't necessarily be the messenger. After many arguments, they decided as a group that it would be best to let Peter approach them when he felt ready. This decision wasn't made lightly and not everyone agreed with it. Obviously, Tony protested but, after a heated debate with Pepper and Steve, agreed to keep his distance. You didn't have to have Clint's vision to see that this was a promise Tony had no intention of keeping. What the team didn't know was Clint had no intention of abiding with this rule either. He was just more subtle about it.

So while the team gave Peter space, Clint made it a point to seek the kid out. He never made direct contact. Rather, he watched from a distance and waited for some indication that Peter was ready to be approached.

At first, Clint pulled every ounce of training to the surface and made himself invisible while shadowing Peter. He didn't do it every day but just often enough to keep an eye on his youngest family member and to assure himself that Peter was fine. _Fine_ being the key word, of course. He wasn't moving on. He wasn't coping or making any attempt to take care of himself. Peter Parker simply was. He existed and that was about it. Clint didn't dare judge, though. If anything happened to Natasha, he doubted he would even be around to go through the motions.

As SHIELD struggled to further the investigation on Oscorp, Clint made up for it by looking out for Peter. Sometimes, he would stand at Gwen's grave for hours without moving. Sometimes, he would get there, look at the tombstone, and turn right around and leave. Clint assumed that facing her death was harder on those days. More often than not, he brought flowers. Clint couldn't be there every day but he was pretty positive that Peter was.

The first couple of weeks, Peter was silent. The clothes he wore might have changed but his emotions and stony expression did not. Some of the time, Clint could tell that Peter was having a hard time accepting the grave in front of him. His brow creased like he was trying to solve a complex math problem. Why did one plus one have to equal two? He had tried so hard to save her and yet she had still died. The coroner hadn't been able to decide if the impact or the whiplash had killed her. They hadn't told Peter any of this. No need to torture him with the details. One plus one still equaled two and Gwen was still dead.

After a while, he started to open up and Clint could tell that he was talking to Gwen. From the distance he was at, he could only assume what was being spoken. If the wind blew just right, he could make out a word here or there. There was a lot of apologizing and appeals to reason. The conversations didn't last long and soon the only sounds in the area were the wind whipping between tombstones.

And so Clint and Peter continued this dance for well over a month and a half before something changed.

This time it was just shy of midnight. Clint had gotten back in town that afternoon and couldn't fall asleep. The repercussions of his most recent mission bounced in his head and refused to let up. So he went for a walk and ended up in Queens. He hadn't checked up on Peter for about a week as their paths just hadn't crossed. But tonight fate lined up just perfectly and Peter was positioned at the foot of Gwen's grave, like a sentry. Clint had positioned himself about ten yards out when Peter spoke.

"I know you're there." He wasn't sure if Peter was talking to himself, Gwen, or Clint until he turned in Clint's direction. Knowing that he'd been caught, Clint edged out from the large stone structure he'd been using for cover. The comment lacked emotion and the archer didn't think Peter was upset with him. Peter turned his attention back to Gwen as Clint approached. After a moment, he was standing at Peter's side. "Been busy this week?"

Clint was momentarily surprised. He'd done his best to be a ghost but apparently Peter had picked up a few skills himself. "You knew?"

Peter rubbed some warmth into his hands. "Probably not the entire time. Just sensed it one day. I knew someone was there. Figured it was you by process of elimination," he explained.

"What gave me away?" Clint asked.

Peter shrugged, "Sometimes it's just too quiet. You're the only one who knows how to be quiet. Well you and Natasha but I didn't figure it was her." He sent Clint a wry smirk. "You're a little nosier than her." Clint nodded in agreement. There was no point in denying it. She was probably more subtle than he was but wouldn't invade Peter's space unless she really felt like she had to.

"Are you reporting back to someone?" Peter cut right to the chase. Clint had to give him credit. The kid knew how to tell it like it was when needed.

"No," he answered honestly. "Like you said, I'm just good at being nosy." Peter's gaze shifted back to his for a moment. He felt himself being analyzed and when Peter nodded he knew that he'd been judged correctly. After a beat, he added, "The others are worried about you. They thought it would be best to give you some space. A couple of us didn't agree with that."

"Two guesses on who that would be," Peter murmured to himself. "I guess I should consider myself lucky I have you as a stalker instead of Stark throwing in his two-cents."

"Give it some time," Clint warned. "Pepper can't keep him in check forever."

"I'm not coming back." Peter said it as if it were a fact. The sky is blue. It's after midnight. A storm is going to roll through tomorrow morning. I'm not coming back.

Not one to give advice unless it was asked of him, Clint nodded in acknowledgement. The topic of Peter's departure from the team had also been heavily debated. The majority of the team assumed he would pick up the suit at some point but it was just a matter of when. While he agreed with Tony on a lot of topics, he didn't think that forcing the issue was the best idea. Tony thought that bombarding the kid would produce the results he wanted. The guy had good intentions but the last time Clint checked good intentions didn't always produce the best results.

Steve, their moral compass, was torn on the subject. Following the falling out he'd had with Peter the night of Gwen's death, his first instinct was to reach out and try to fix the situation. Like the rest of his team, Steve didn't handle sitting on the sidelines well. They all felt so helpless but as Bruce and Thor had pointed out there was little they could do at the time without causing more harm than good. Everything about the team reminded Peter of that night and his life before the night at the clock tower.

Thor firmly believed that Peter needed time to process and heal. As he so eloquently explained, every warrior would lose a battle and a fellow comrade at some point or another. True warriors would carry on again and he was certain that Peter would not disappoint. Bruce said basically the same thing, only in a slightly more scientific way.

At the end of the day, all of their opinions didn't matter. Because, as Natasha stated, it wasn't their decision to make. It was Peter's. They could ponder, debate, and push all they wanted but ultimately it was up to him. And if he didn't want to put on the suit again there was very little they could do about it. Right now, he was doing what he needed to survive and protect his ever-shrinking family. Peter was licking his wounds and flying under the radar. And he would do it for as long as he thought he needed to.

Peter's voice brought him back to the present. "Is that why you're here?"

"I think you know me better than that." Clint countered. Few people were as straight forward as Clint Barton. If he'd wanted to speak to Peter, he wouldn't have stayed in the shadows for six weeks. If he wanted to try to convince him to come back, he would have led with that topic. As much as he can, Clint didn't dance around topics. There was no point in wasting time.

"Had to ask," Peter said. "I knew you'd give me a straight answer."

"Always," Clint smirked. "Whether you want the truth or not."

Remembering a few of the run-ins he'd had with Clint early on in their friendship, Peter just said yeah and left it at that.

They let a comfortable silence fill the air around them. Clint could tell that Peter was working up to ask him something bigger. He could practically see the gears turning in Peter's head. They knew each other well enough for Peter to know that Clint wouldn't be telling anyone about their conversation. Clint let the silence drag on.

A strong gust of wind surged past them and Clint zipped up his jacket and flipped the hood onto his head. He didn't know how long they would be standing there but there was no sense in freezing in the mean time. A rumble of thunder sounded in the distance and light danced in the clouds. Guess that storm was going to come in a little earlier than expected.

Peter spoke when the first rain drops landed around them. "When my parents left me at Uncle Ben and Aunt May's, I thought that they would be back. And even after the plane crash, I just never really thought that they were gone, you know? For the longest time, I thought it was a mistake. They weren't really on the plane. Or maybe it was all a huge joke. And for months after, I would tell Uncle Ben that Dad was coming home soon. Or I'd tell Aunt May that Mom would be back to take me off her hands. I don't think they knew what to tell me. For the longest time, they didn't correct me and then one day they talked to me about seeing a therapist. I didn't know that's what they meant at the time. They just said that would be going with them to appointments. The therapist said it was part of the natural grieving process. Have you ever heard of that? The five stages of grief?" Clint nodded that he had. "She said that I was bargaining. If I ate my vegetables, maybe they would come back. If I was really really good, maybe it would all be a mistake. If I tried so hard to figure out every possible alternative, maybe the police would realize that they'd made a mistake and it hadn't been MY parents in that plane. Some other kid's parents were in there." He trailed off for a minute. "I thought up every possible situation that you can think of until I ran out of ideas. And then the only thing left was the truth. My parent died in that plane crash. They aren't coming back." Again, he said this with no emotion. It was just another fact for the day. It's raining. The wind is picking up. My parents died and they aren't coming back.

Peter rarely spoke about his parents and if he did it wasn't to Clint. Knowing Peter didn't want comfort or advice, he stayed quiet and listened instead. After a beat, he continued. "I did the same thing when Uncle Ben died. He died right in my arms and for weeks I walked around thinking that it couldn't be true. And then I did the only thing I could to try to make sense of everything."

"You went looking for the guy who did it." Clint filled in the gap.

"Yeah, I just thought that if I could figure out who did it that everything would be okay. If I could find the guy, everything would go back to normal. But I never did find him and in the process I just made a huge mess. I dragged Gwen and her dad into all of this. And everything just spiraled out of control. I never found him."

Clint wanted to point out that while Peter had never found the John Doe who killed Ben Parker, he had put a lot of dangerous men behind bars. When Fury had first approached the team and Phil about bringing Spider-Man into their ranks, Tony had done a thorough back ground check. And when Phil had finally pinned down who was behind the mask, another investigation had taken place. Clint knew all about the blondes Spider-Man had targeted. It wasn't until later that they understood why Peter had taken a liking to tall, muscular toe-heads.

"But helping people felt good, you know? It felt so much better than being angry and bitter." That was something that Clint could definitely relate to. "So I stopped looking and focused on helping. And that worked for a while. But now," he trailed off again. His eyes glazed over. He chuckled darkly. "Now the third time's the charm. I can't accept that she's gone. Because I was doing what I thought was right. I tried cutting ties with her. I joined the freaking Avengers for crying out loud. I stopped looking for the asshat who killed my Uncle. I was looking for a way to save Harry! And it didn't matter." The last few sentences came out in a rush. "We ran those tests and knew that my blood would kill him. And maybe I should have just let it happen. If I had given him my blood, she would be alive. If he hadn't known what Gwen meant to me, she would still be alive. If I hadn't broken my promise to her dad, she wouldn't have been in the situation to begin with. There are so many ways I could have fixed the situation!" Suddenly, he turned to address Clint directly and the archer could see the pain and confusion in Peter's eyes. "I can fix this, right?"

Clint was no therapist but he knew he couldn't let Peter hoodwink himself. This was the question Peter had been working up to. They had already established that Clint didn't beat around the bush and Peter was depending on him to be honest. But Clint couldn't decide just how unhinged Peter was. Did he really believe that he could do something about the situation? Or did he just need to hear that things were outside of his control and he needed to move on? Either way, Clint knew what needed to be said.

By that time, the rain was falling steadily and Clint couldn't tell if those were tears on Peter's cheeks or rain. Either way, he looked Peter in the eye when he said, "No, Pete, there is nothing left to fix. There isn't anything that you can do. I know that you loved Gwen. I know that you still love her and probably always will. But she is gone. And no amount of bargaining will change that."

Clint felt awful as he watched Peter process his words. Based on his reaction, Clint could see that Peter was a better liar than anyone gave him credit. And in that moment, he saw just how low Peter was. He had been holding onto that small hope that there was something left for him to do. He genuinely believed that he could still be of use.

While he had never been one to kick a man when he was down, Clint knew that he had to be crystal clear. He respected and cared for Peter too much to handle him like glass. Peter would crack but he wouldn't break. "You knew I would be honest with you, Pete. I can't sit by and watch you do this to yourself. Think about what you did when your parents and uncle died. You went through every possible scenario looking for an alternative. This time don't do that. Just trust me when I tell you there is no other possibility."

"Harry…" Peter interrupted but Clint spoke over him.

"We can't get to him. SHIELD is trying but I don't know how long that will take. And even if you kill him, it won't bring her back." For a split second, Clint thought he would lash out. Instead, he just looked defeated. He was trying so hard to find an alternative to grasp onto. "Take it from someone who knows, kid. Killing for revenge isn't all it's cracked up to be. Been there, done that. It's a small comfort."

"But it's a comfort," he voice was flat again.

"It's a short lived comfort." Clint relented. "But if it's a comfort you want later on down the line, I won't stop you. Hell, I might even help."

Peter blinked at that statement and let out a long sigh. Running a hand through his now wet hair, Clint could see that he was already processing what had been said. For a moment, he looked lost. Clint had just pulled the rug out from under him and he didn't know where to go from here. He waited for Peter to pick up the pieces. In the end, he looked worse off than before their conversation. But Clint could also see the understanding starting to fall into place. He wasn't okay and wouldn't be for a very long time. But the conversation hadn't broken him.

Clint could sense that the conversation was coming to a close. He had said his piece and was content that Peter had received the message loud and clear. Choosing to dismiss himself from the conversation, he gave Peter's shoulder a tight squeeze before turning to leave. He didn't get far before Peter broke out of his stupor. His tone was flat and detached again.

"The cemetery isn't anywhere close to The Tower." When Clint nodded to indicate that he was listening, Peter added. "You don't to find an excuse to come out here anymore."

Not everyone was as straightforward as Clint Barton, but he received the message loud and clear. He wanted to be left alone. Playing along with Peter, he said, "You're probably right. But I'm sure I'll find a reason at some point." Translation: I'll leave you alone for now. With a final glance at his youngest teammate, Clint blended into the shadows once more and left the cemetery.


	3. Anger

A/N: Hold onto your hats! Here is Part Three! Thank you for all of the kind words and support. As always, I own nothing.

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"This mess was yours,

Now your mess is mine"

-Vance Joy

Anger: Three months after

"Stark!"

Looking at the kid, Tony Stark knew that he had gone too far this time. The room went deathly quiet as Peter stepped off the elevator with a small box in his hands. The teenager wore a dark shirt and jeans that used to fit him. Now the shirt hung off his small frame and the pants wouldn't have stayed up over his hips without a belt. The box was dented and banged up as a result of being shipped back and forth between two places too many times. What should have been a one way trip to Peter's home in Queens quickly turned into a battle of wills that neither one of them was willing to give up. Placing the screwdriver that he had been using on the workbench in front of him, Tony squared his shoulders to meet whatever Peter was going to throw at him.

"What the hell are you playing at?" This time it was the box that was thrown into Stark's chest. Peter stopped a few feet from Tony, but his stance didn't waver. The two of them had worked together enough for Stark to read Peter's nonverbals. He was pissed and looking for a fight. Normally, Peter was a good enough actor that he could appear at ease even when he was geared up for battle. It was a trait that came in handy in a tight spot. To date, villains and everyday street criminals underestimated Spider-Man.

Reminding himself that this was part of the plan Tony replied, "What do you mean, Pete?"

Anger flared in Peter's eyes and the muscles in his arms twitched as he struggled to maintain composure. "You're not an idiot, Stark. Don't pretend to be one."

"That's such a nice compliment! The best I've gotten in a while," Tony took a chance and turned his back on Peter. Hoping his nonchalant attitude would further press the teenager's buttons, he set the box on his workbench and returned to the project he had been tinkering with before Peter showed up. "You should run that one by Pepper, though. It might take some convincing, but I think she'll come around."

The silence that followed his sarcastic quip was deafening. His instincts told him that Peter wouldn't attack him while his back was turned, but his brain reminded him that this was not the same Peter from before Gwen's death. This Peter Parker was almost unrecognizable. He was smaller and not as quick to rise to a challenge. Actually, the kid had no fight left in him. As much as he pushed, picked, and prodded, Tony couldn't get him to fight back. In the days leading up to Gwen's untimely death, it took little to no effort to engage Peter in any kind of a challenge. In the months following that night, the fire had gone from his eyes and it was apparent that Peter couldn't find a reason to care about anything. Tony counted it a win that he was able to bring such fire to his eyes, even if it took stepping over a line to do it.

The young vigilante didn't respond and after a moment Tony realized that he had tallied that point a little too early. Peter wasn't going to put up a fight. He was walking away. Again.

Exasperated and desperate, Tony expressed concern the only way he knew how. He lashed out, looking for any kind of response. "Hey kid! Don't forget this! You might need it!" Picking up the box, he turned in time to see Peter stop just short of elevator and launched the package at him. Out of instinct, more than anything else, Peter easily caught the box with his right hand.

For a second time in such a brief amount of time, the room was filled with a lack of sound. But this time, it was different. Tony could feel the energy in the room change and adrenaline filled his veins. He knew, even before Peter looked up at him, that he would get the response he had been hoping for. After all these months, Peter was finally showing an emotion that wasn't grief, pain, or guilt. And it was going to be aimed directly at Tony.

The corner of the box crumpled under his hand. He threw it back at Tony, who easily dodged the threat. Hitting the wall with a thwack, it dropped to the ground by Tony. "I don't want it. Take it back." His voice didn't rise above a whisper, but Tony could hear the rage simmering there. Tony knew better than to take his eyes off of Peter this time. Although words weren't being exchanged, the two superheroes continued to communicate with their eyes alone. The look on Peter's face was enough to make most men take a step back. But Tony Stark wasn't most men and he wasn't backing down now. It had taken months for him to get Peter back in The Tower. He wasn't going to ease off because the kid was a little upset. Besides, he understood the emotion behind Peter's eyes, having seen it many a time when he looked at his own reflection in the mirror. The teen's chocolate brown eyes screamed many things. First, and the most obvious, was fury. This emotion read loud and clear. It practically screamed _I want to destroy something_. His bunched fists complimented this idea and gave the impression that he wanted nothing more than to rip, tear, and hurt anything he could get his hands on. If that happened to be a certain genius, millionaire, (former) playboy, philanthropist so be it. Just behind the rage, Tony could also see how annoyed Peter was about the whole situation. He didn't understand why Stark wouldn't leave him be. He couldn't comprehend why Stark continued to draw him into a life that he was so desperate to escape. Finally, Tony also detected confusion. He didn't understand why Tony was going to all this trouble. Did Peter really not know what he meant to him, to all of them?

As Tony opened his mouth to respond, the glass door to the lab opened. Neither Peter nor Tony broke eye contact as Bruce, Pepper, and Clint entered.

"Peter, it's so good to see you. I didn't know you were stopping by." Pepper gushed and moved to approach him, only to be stopped by Clint. The archer had been a spy long enough to know that something was off. He wasn't called Hawkeye for nothing. Picking up on the tension in the room, Pepper turned to address her boyfriend. "What is going on?"

"Spidey was just paying me a very nice compliment, Pep. Would you like to hear it?" His weak attempt at a joke fell flat and the room was once again plunged into an awkward silence.

"Okay, seriously, what is going on?" Pepper sighed. "What did you do, Tony?"

Finally breaking eye contact, Stark turned to his girlfriend. "Why do you automatically assume I did something?"

"Statistically speaking, if someone is upset you tend to be the reason behind the grief."

Before he could protest that her statement was unfair, but probably true, Bruce inserted himself into the conversation. "Actually, we are both to blame, Pepper."

Peter snorted in disbelief and rolled his eyes at Bruce. "Oh, please. We both know that you were dragged into the situation. Not that you did much to reel him in." Tony wouldn't admit to being afraid of the Web-Slinger but it was nice for Peter to shift his anger to Bruce for a moment.

"Peter," Bruce was cut off by his sharp glare.

"I'm only saying this one more time. I'm out. I'm done with this, all of this. Stay away from me. Stay away from my aunt." The last statement was directed back at Tony. "And burn that damn box and everything that's in it."

"Answer something for me, Pete. If you're out, why does this little box bother you so much? Why send it back? Why not just burn it yourself?" He didn't have an answer for Tony's question. So Tony took it upon himself to fill in the blanks for the teenager. "I'll tell you why! Because you aren't convinced that you're done. You aren't ready to give it up yet. No one is saying that you have to jump back into everything, Pete. But don't act like you can just walk away. Do you think this is what Gwen would have wanted?"

"I guess we'll never know what Gwen would have wanted," Peter snarled, back on the defense.

"You know, she wouldn't have wanted you to stop," exasperation filled Stark's voice. He slammed his hands on the workbench in front of him. This wasn't going how he had planned. In his mind, Tony had expected Peter to finally put up a fight but he hadn't factored other people into the equation.

"Timeout!" Pepper jumped into the conversation before Peter could shoot something back at him. "What is in that box?"

Snatching the battered box off the floor, Tony tore one end open and spilled the contents onto the table. A length of red and blue fabric gathered in a graceful pool. Crossing the room in a few steps, Pepper picked the uniform up in her hands. She ran her fingers gently over the material, as if she were afraid of causing damage, before setting it down and fixing her boyfriend with a stare. "We agreed that we would let him pick it up in his own time."

"No. You decided that all on your own. I never agreed to it." Tony snapped at her, his own patience wearing thin.

"It's too soon, Tony! And this was the suit he was wearing the night…"

"I'm aware of that! I designed enough of these to know which one is which!" Truer words had never been spoken. From Day One, Tony had been dying to get his hands on Peter's suit and make changes. It wasn't until a near fatal accident involving a burning building and a crispy spider that he was able to make those modifications. From that point on, Peter was open to Tony's ideas.

Not long after finding fabric that was flame resistant, Peter asked if he could also find a way to make it water resistant, if not water proof. Apparently, swinging through the air soaking wet wasn't as much fun as Peter made it look. So the pair came up with a new design and for a while Peter was perfectly happy with his new suit. Until the weather turned and it started to snow.

By that point, Tony assumed they were close enough that Peter could come to him with suggestions. Evidently this wasn't the case. One evening, he and Pepper were enjoying a quiet dinner when a special news report came on the television. Someone had spotted Spider-Man out and about. This wasn't anything out of the ordinary but it was a little odd to see Spider-Man in a hat and scarf. The pair sat dumbstruck before laughing themselves silly. After catching her breath, Pepper fixed Tony with a look. He simply rolled his eyes and said I'll put it at the top of the list. He couldn't let the kid swing around looking like that. As it turns out, Peter had gotten sick running around the city in the snow. After being teased mercilessly, he admitted that it probably hadn't been his best decision and then asked how Tony felt about modifying the gloves and boots so he would be warmer.

And so began what Tony liked to call, The Spidey Collection. They designed and created different suits for each season. Each one was flame and water resistant but other than that they were different. The Summer Suit was light weight and the material breathed so that Peter wouldn't have to worry about over-heating. The Fall and Spring Suits were pretty similar. Both were a little thicker so as to account for changes in temperature and wind. The Winter Suit was Tony's personal favorite. They found a way to insulate the boots and gloves so that Peter was still able to move effortlessly while being warm. Lastly, each suit was fitted with a communication system, which Peter learned to accept given his eerie predisposition for fatal situations.

Tony Stark now knew more about fabric and spandex than he ever thought he would. But if it kept the youngest teammate safe and healthy, he'd do it all over again in a heartbeat.

Of course he knew this was the suit Peter had been wearing that night! Initially, he sent this particular one because he thought Peter might need to be reminded that Gwen wouldn't want him to give everything up. After Peter kept sending it back, his reasons changed. Now, he knew that it rubbed Peter the wrong way. Tony was going to use this slip of fabric to prove a point and bring out an emotion that wasn't sadness or guilt.

"How long have you been sending this to him?" By this point in the argument, Tony and Pepper were oblivious to the others in the room.

"Not long!"

"And you sent it through the mail? Do you know how lucky you are that someone else didn't get this and open it?! His face could have been plastered all over the six o'clock news, Tony!"

"Oh, give me a little credit. I didn't send it through the mail. I made Happy drop it off!"

"That doesn't really matter now that you practically waved the mask in my face in public today." Peter's statement effectively halted the argument.

"What!" Clint and Pepper's response was identical.

"Don't be so dramatic, Pete. If you will notice, I had to cut the tape to get the box open a minute ago. All parts of your suit were inside the box this afternoon." Tony rolled his eyes until they landed on Bruce. "Will you back me up here?"

"Nope. You're just digging the hole even deeper."

"Go away, Banner. I want The Other Guy. At least, he has a backbone." Tony knew it was a low blow. The cool look he received from Bruce told him he was an asshole but a forgivable one. He would apologize later.

"What happened today?" Pepper's temper was simmering, ready to explode.

"Nothing happened today. Bruce and I were out getting lunch and bumped into Peter and May. And since Peter never graces us with his presence anymore, I took the opportunity to return his package to him." Tony shrugged nonchalantly. He would never admit it, but the way Peter had left really stung. It was hard to go from seeing Peter practically every day to not at all. He hadn't even said goodbye. The way he left was a catalyst for many arguments between Steve and Tony. He was convinced that if Steve had stalled Peter long enough for him to get there he would have been able to stop him from walking away that night. Obviously, Steve didn't agree. The Super Soldier maintained that Peter would have walked away regardless of who had been in the room. Tony was quick to point out that he wouldn't have backed down without a fight. He would have had to go through Tony to get to the door.

"Bullshit." Peter called his bluff. "You didn't bump into us. You were waiting for us. How long did you sit at that café waiting for us to show?"

"Two hours."

"We were just finishing a bite to eat."

This time it was Bruce and Tony who answered at the same time. "Really, Banner? Now who's digging the hole deeper? Grab a shovel, why don't you?"

Ignoring his lab partner's antics, Bruce turned his attention to Peter. "We shouldn't have pushed the subject in public, especially in front of your aunt. I am sorry."

"Well, I'm not sorry!" Tony's temper flared. "Maybe it's time she was brought into this situation." This wasn't the first time that Tony had suggested it. He genuinely believed that May Parker had a right to know what Peter was up to every night. After meeting the Magnificent May Parker, Tony knew without a doubt that she would accept Peter's lifestyle. Peter wasn't convinced, however. Ultimately, it was up to him to either reveal or keep that secret. It wasn't Tony's place to tell. On the other hand, May Parker, while naïve, was smarter than anyone gave her credit. She could very well know everything and simply be waiting for Peter to come clean. This is something that Peter was very much against for more than one reason. First, and most importantly, he still harbored a lot of guilt over his uncle's death. Peter didn't discuss that night very often and Tony wondered if the teen would ever be able to forgive himself. Maybe what he needed was to hear May say that she didn't blame him? Regardless, that wasn't likely to happen anytime soon. The other reason Peter kept her in the dark was pretty simple. The less she knew the better off she was. She might worry that he worked too hard or came and went at odd hours; but, those were small concerns compared to the anxiety she would have if she knew what he was up to during those odd hours.

"Are you kidding me?" Peter aggressively approached the workbench. "What are you a five year old tattletale?"

"Of course not! I'm a twenty-five year old tattletale." Everyone shared a look of exasperation before Tony amended this previous statement. "My age isn't of importance at the moment. I wouldn't have had to do what I did today if you would just take the suit."

"Again, you aren't an idiot Stark. Don't act like one."

"What else was I supposed to do, kid? You don't come around. You won't return anyone's calls or texts. You left SI. You don't go to class, so I can't stage a casual run-in there. You forced my hand." An uncomfortable silence filled the air following Tony's rant. "The only places you go to on a regular basis are your aunt's house, the cemetery, and the café off of Main every Sunday afternoon."

Peter didn't know whether to be furious with Stark or impressed with his stalker abilities. He decided to go with the former. "You've been keeping tabs on me? Acting alone? Or did you have help?" His glare moved from Tony to Clint, who raised his arms in surrender.

"Barton had nothing to do with this. Don't worry I acted alone. Because I'm the only one here who isn't willing to let you drown." His last statement was met with protest from all angles.

"Come on, Tony. We're all concerned for Peter." Bruce began, only to be cut off again.

"But I'm the only one doing something about it!" Tony slammed his fist down on the workbench to get everyone's attention. Why couldn't they see that sitting back and doing nothing wasn't doing Peter any favors? For a moment, Tony let himself be brought back to that night. He was at SHIELD headquarters when he got the call. Phil Coulson called on his cell phone to let him know that Peter had walked away. He had left and Steve was ordering everyone to let him go. He needed space, Phil said. Okay, Tony thought. He could respect that but it didn't mean he couldn't keep an eye on him. As casually as he could, he cued up traffic cameras from the base to Queens and watched Peter make his way home. But Tony had misunderstood. You see when he heard that Peter had left, Tony thought Phil meant for the night. He didn't realize that Peter had left the team and his suit behind. Coulson didn't know who else to give the suit to. Naturally, it came back to Tony, the one who had created it. It was then that Tony knew he had to do something. He had to reach out and make Peter see reason.

Of course, he had delayed to appease his teammates. They, collectively if not grudgingly, agreed to let Peter come to them. Well as far as Tony was concerned, time was up. Too much time had gone by and he was done waiting. He wasn't willing to sit by and do nothing anymore. Tony Stark was a firm believer in tough love and it was time that Peter received some.

"Stalking me and making a scene in public isn't doing something about it." Peter entered the conversation. "Besides, I'm fine. Have you stopped to think that maybe I don't need help?"

It was Tony's turn to call Peter's bluff. "Bullshit, Web-Head. You aren't coping. You've dropped everything that you care about. You're depressed."

"Well, I did kill my girlfriend a couple of months ago so I think I'm entitled to a little depression. And who are you to be handing out coping strategies, huh? Did the city run out of alcohol? Is that why you're offering advice instead of liquor?"

After months of trying to get a response out of Peter, Tony finally succeeded and he wasn't sure he liked what he saw. Sure, he'd seen Peter angry when innocent people were attacked. He'd seen rage in the teen's eyes when one of his teammates was injured. But none of them had seen Peter be nasty just for the sake of it. Tony wouldn't deny that Peter's comments hit close to home, but the kid was right. Typically, he wasn't the one who offered up advice.

The truth was Tony had an idea of what it was like to be Peter. He understood what it was like to be an orphan, to be raised by someone who wasn't his parents. He could relate because he also lived in his father's shadow. Peter never said it aloud but Tony and Bruce could see that Peter was constantly pushing himself to become the scientist he believed his father to be. Considering Richard Parker unlocked the door to cross-species genetics, Peter had some enormous shoes to fill. He knew how it felt to harbor guilt and what that could do to a person. And Tony Stark would be damned if Peter learned to cope with life the way that he had. He couldn't let Peter bottle everything up and escape from the pain. The sooner he dealt with the situation, the sooner he would be able to pick up the pieces of his life and move on. Tony knew that none of them would ever be able to forget Gwen Stacy. How could they? She had touched all of their lives with her beauty and charm. It would be an insult to her memory to brush her death aside. But Tony knew Gwen wouldn't have wanted Peter to live like this. If he had to be the one to bring Peter back to his senses, he would rise to that challenge. He could live with Peter's anger and hateful (yet, honest) retorts. If the kid needed a verbal punching bag, he could be that for him, whatever it took to bring him back to his senses.

The room was waiting to see how Tony would respond, but Peter beat him to it. As if he were reading Tony's mind, he plowed on in a fit of contained rage. His voice shook with anger as he surveyed his teammate. "You think I don't know what you're doing? I'm not an idiot either, Stark. You think if you make me mad enough, I'll come back to my senses. I'll see that I can _avenge_ Gwen by joining the team again. I'll realize that my guilt was misplaced and I'm not to blame." His voice dripped with sarcasm. "You don't want me to turn out like you: a drunken genius who can't cope with life. Well, there are a couple of variables you forgot to factor into the equation. One, you weren't in that clock tower and you didn't watch her die. I did kill her. Her death and her blood are on my hands. Two, I am not you. We might both be the reason why people are dead but I won't continue to play superhero. You and I, we aren't good people. We aren't Cap. When we suit up, it's a lie. You think I'm in a haze? I'm not grounded in reality? Why don't you take a look in the mirror? You're the one taking up residency on Delusion Avenue."

Leaving everyone stunned, Peter turn on his heel and approached the elevator. Tony knew he had one last chance to reach the kid before he was gone. "Hey, _Bug Boy_! You forgot something; never know when you might need to suit up." He, and everyone else in the room, knew he had gone too far. Peter moved so fast that Tony hardly saw the fist flying at his face. But he knew it was coming because Tony had crossed a line he shouldn't have. Gwen was the only person who could get away with calling him Bug Boy. The next thing Stark knew he was on the ground seeing stars as blood filled his mouth. Peter's fist had collided squarely with Tony's jaw, lifting him off of his feet into the wall behind him. As he slid down the wall, Peter effortlessly cleared the workbench and snatched him up by the collar of his black AC/DC shirt.

Somewhere in the background, Pepper shrieked and made to approach the pair. However, Bruce quickly grabbed hold of her elbow and kept her clear of the fight that was sure to break out at any moment. Out of the corner of his eye, Tony saw Clint approach Peter from behind. Holding out a hand, he silently waved the archer to stand down. No one else would get hurt because he chose to poke the sleeping spider. His body tensed, waiting for the next punch that didn't come. Instead, Peter dealt out another verbal blow. Pulling Tony close to his face, Peter growled, "You're going to get her killed. You know that, right? You can't protect her forever. You won't always be around. One of these days, someone will be waiting for her. They'll pick her up right off the street and use her to get to you. Let her go; before you lose her." Peter's words knocked all of the air out of his lungs. The Web-Slinger set him back on his feet and left without another word. He didn't spare a glance at anyone else in the room. It wasn't until the elevator moved that he took a breath. He couldn't bring himself to look at Pepper; no doubt there would be tears all over her gorgeous face. Instead he sank to the floor and rubbed his jaw gently. Clint finally broke the silence with a curse. No one really knew what to say in the aftermath of the previous moment's events. Until a thought popped into Tony's head, something that hadn't occurred to him until that very moment.

"You know what gets me the most? What really hits hard?"

Clint quirked an eyebrow at him in response, "Your shattered jaw?"

"No." Tony shook his head. "He used the elevator. Normally, he comes and goes through the window. He used the damn elevator."

A/N 2: I hope you all enjoyed Part Three. Tony is a lot of fun to write. If you were wondering, this is the missing scene from _She Isn't Gwen._ Reviews make me smile!


	4. Depression

A/N: Thanks so much for the support! Here is Part Four. As always, I own nothing.

* * *

"Some battles you can fight forever

Some end before they start

Some lovers find a way together

And some just fall apart

Don't think it doesn't hurt me, too

To just leave you in the dark

It ain't your fault

I might have been born to break your heart"

-Josh Abbott Band

Depression: Four months after

"Pardon the interruption, Dr. Banner." Jarvis' cool robotic voice drifted from above Bruce's head. "Mr. Parker is approaching the lab."

Looking up from the data he was analyzing, Bruce scratched his head. "Peter? Is everything alright?" He asked himself, not expecting an answer but getting one anyway.

"His vital signs are within normal limits; however, he does appear to be fatigued and in need of some sunlight." Bruce smirked to himself. He should have known Jarvis would respond.

"Thank you, Jarvis. You can let him know I'm in here. I don't think anyone else is in the Tower."

"Of course, sir."

Dr. Banner turned back to the print-out in front of him but found that he couldn't concentrate. What was Peter doing here? This would be the second time, to Bruce's knowledge, that the teen had been to the Tower since Gwen's unfortunate death four months ago. The last interaction hadn't ended well. And while Tony was mostly to blame for the outcome of that encounter, Bruce had also played a part. He only hoped that Peter wasn't looking for another fight. The Other Guy was always ready for a brawl, but that didn't mean Bruce wanted him out and about. Bruce was still contemplating the reason behind Peter's visit when the subject of his thoughts walked into the room. One look at the teenager had Bruce agreeing with Jarvis. He did look exhausted and extremely pale. Dark circles accented his normally bright eyes and the short walk from the elevator to the lab seemed to take an enormous amount of effort.

"Hey," Peter was hesitant in greeting the scientist.

"Hi, Peter." Bruce was considerate enough to give him some space. He remained seated behind his desk.

"I, um, wasn't sure if it was okay for me to drop by. You know, after last time," He trailed off and looked around the lab.

"Tony isn't here. I think I'm the only one in the Tower right now."

"I know he isn't. I was waiting for him to leave before coming in." Bruce raised an eyebrow at this bit of information. "Tony Stark isn't the only one who knows how to keep tabs on someone. Besides, I was hoping to avoid a scene like last time. I just wanted to drop this off with you." Sliding his backpack off his shoulders, he unzipped the bag and pulled out a battered box. It was the same one that started the argument between the Web-Slinger and Tony.

"Seriously?" Peter pushed the box across the glass table for Bruce to see. "You have got to be kidding me."

"He is nothing if not relentless."

Shaking his head, Bruce picked the box up and turned it over in his hands. "I'm sorry he won't let it go."

"I should have expected it. I was kind of hoping you would hold onto it? That way he thinks that I have it and I don't have to keep looking at it. Would you be okay with that?" It was such a small request, but Bruce could see how hard it was for Peter to ask it. Interesting that the teen could face aliens, murderers, and bizarre lab experiments gone wrong; but, a red and blue suit made him so uncomfortable that he couldn't look Bruce in the eye when he asked him to take it off his hands.

"Sure," Bruce agreed. "Of course, I can." Taking the dreaded box in one hand, he walked to the far side of the lab where a set of filing cabinets were located. He shifted the contents of one drawer around until it fit in the very back. "If you ever want it back, you know where it is."

"Thank, Bruce." With a nod, Peter turned to leave. He was almost to the door when Bruce stopped him.

"Peter, I owe you an apology."

The teen scoffed but turned back to the scientist. "We both know that was Stark's idea, not yours."

"Yes, but I had an idea of what he was going to do. I wasn't expecting him to be that loud and obnoxious about it, but I knew what he had planned." Bruce admitted with a sigh.

"Well, sometimes Tony Stark's level of B.S. exceeds even his own expectations." Bruce knew Peter was giving him a pass and he appreciated it. "Besides, there was no real harm done. Aunt May is still in the dark. She just thinks Tony is pissed because I quit without handing in my two weeks notice."

"Really?" Bruce was impressed. "How did you pull that one off?

"Lied through my teeth." Peter chuckled darkly. "I'm kind of a master at it now. I just told her that after Gwen," he paused before continuing. "I couldn't focus at work. But I guess that wasn't a lie." His voice trailed off at the end. Bruce watched him fiddle with the strap on his backpack. Clearly, the subject was still raw and hard to talk about. The teenager that Bruce had known for years was gone and a shell of a person remained. Seeing Peter so broken was hard to digest and Bruce longed for the times before Gwen's untimely death. Sure, Peter would be sad when they weren't dating but it was nothing compared to this. Peter's depression couldn't have been more obvious. There was no light in his eyes and his shoulders were slouched like the weight of the world was all on him. Bruce felt The Other Guy growl his dissatisfaction at the situation.

"Do you want to see what I'm working on?" He swiftly changed the subject and saw Peter hesitate. He could see the conflict running through Peter's eyes. If he stayed, he would run the risk of another confrontation with Tony. But on the other hand, when had he ever passed up the opportunity to learn something from Bruce? While Peter thought on the question, Bruce's heart soared. _The depression wasn't so deep that Peter had lost interest in science,_ he thought to himself. He pushed the subject a little more. "I've been running a few trials. But nothing had been successful. I was just telling Jarvis that I need a new set of eyes to take a look at everything. I'm looking at the problem too closely."

"Your failed experiments are starting to rival Mr. Stark's." Jarvis chimed in with perfect timing, as usual.

This time when Peter laughed, it was genuine. "Sounds like you are in trouble."

"More trouble than I thought," Bruce took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. Bruce knew that Tony was heading to up-state New York to look over a new SHIELD facility with Steve. The chances of him being back that day were slim to none. "If you have a minute, I'd appreciate the help."

"Sure," Peter slipped his backpack off. "What are you working on?"

And so began an afternoon of science. In all reality, the experiment he was working on wasn't that difficult. True, it didn't hurt to have a fresh set of eyes. But Bruce was on the brink of a breakthrough when Peter had walked in. If Peter picked up on these facts, he didn't let on. The two just worked together and shared ideas. If Bruce ignored the bags under Peter's eyes and sallow skin, he could almost let himself believe that nothing had ever changed. It was just another day in the lab. He, Peter, and Tony had spent countless days and nights like this together. They bonded over failed trials and successful attempts. They bickered over variables and then sat dumbfounded when all of their opinions had been wrong. They tried nearly every take-out restaurant in the city because when they were on a roll, why stop to go get food? Better yet, there were plenty of days when they only stopped to eat because Pepper found them eight hours into a work day without a break. None of them knew how eight or nine hours passed in the blink of an eye. But it did happen and more often than any of them dared to admit. Some of the best moments of Bruce's life happened in this lab with his family. And for one afternoon, he had the old Peter back. The topic of conversation didn't stray from work, but that was fine. Anything to keep him in the lab and out of his own mind.

Bruce had seen Peter transform from a teenager to an adult in the matter of a few years. When Spider-Man first signed on as a consultant to The Avengers, there had been a little friction between Peter and the group. Bruce figured it was a result of the age gap between them and how little everyone was around to get to know Peter. Peter was clearly the youngest of the group with Steve or Natasha being next closest in age (depending on how you looked at it). It did help that Clint and Tony were so immature; and on the flipside, Peter could be very mature when the situation called for it. He took his 'work' seriously. Sure he liked to crack jokes and be a smart ass sometimes, but he would never put innocent bystanders or his teammates in harm's way. In fact, there were a few times that Bruce thought Steve would have a coronary because Peter had a tendency to put everyone's safety before his own. There were many a nights Peter lay in a hospital bed because he just didn't know how to quit. One particular incident rocked the entire team to the core. Bruce pushed the images of Peter trapped under concrete from his brain. It would take more than a collapsing building (or two) to take Spider-Man out of the game.

Regardless of how they started out, they became a new team over time. Peter, covering as Tony's intern, spent more and more time at the lab and as a result built a relationship with Bruce and Tony both. Of all the teammates, the Science Brothers spent the most time in New York and the lab at The Tower became a popular meeting place. It was there that Bruce really got to know Peter. The teen was far less guarded and more willing to open up when science was the topic of conversation. It might have been because Bruce didn't pry into his personal life, or because science was a topic they could both relate to. Regardless, it was in this lab that Bruce met the real Peter Parker. He would never forget the day that Peter told him and Tony why he chose to be Spider-Man. The whole team knew about the radioactive spider bite but no one knew why he was constantly throwing out the word 'responsibility'. Until the day, he told them about his Uncle Ben. Bruce couldn't tell you how they got on the topic but Peter willingly supplied the information. When he admitted that he had been in the convenience store with the man who would later kill his uncle, Bruce didn't know what to say. By the look Tony shared with him, the other man was at a loss for words too. But after a moment, it became clear that Peter wasn't looking for advice or a shoulder to cry on. He was merely explaining why he chose the life he was currently living.

As time marched on other serious topics were discussed. One that stood out to Bruce occurred shortly before Gwen passed away. It stood out because it started out just like today's encounter. He could remember it just like yesterday. He was standing in nearly the same place, reading data from his current experiment, wearing the same lab coat when Jarvis spoke.

"Pardon the interruption, Dr. Banner. Mr. Parker is approaching the lab. He would like a word with you, Mr. Stark, and Captain Rogers." Bruce didn't have time to respond before Spider-Man landed on the window outside the lab. He quickly placed his hand on the right side of the building where a scanner was placed. Once his fingerprints were scanned, a glass panel slid aside to allow him entrance. Waiting just long enough for Jarvis to tint the windows of the lab, he quickly yanked the mask off his head. And Bruce could see the panic in his eyes.

Before he could ask what was wrong, Peter blurted out, "Where are Tony and Steve?"

"Mr. Stark and Captain Rogers are in the elevator." Jarvis smoothly answered. Sure enough, the elevator doors slide open a moment later and the two stepped out.

"Max Dillon is Electro. He was an employee at Oscorp who was involved in an accident with electric eels."

His confession was met with silence, which Tony promptly broke. "Just when you think you've heard everything."

"I'm not making this up!"

"Oh, I'm sure you aren't." Tony snorted. "That's what makes this so ridiculous."

"How did you get this information?" Steve asked.

"Gwen found it by accident. And she did it under her account at Oscorp so now they know that she knows and tried to stop her from leaving the building." Peter rambled. _So that's where the panic came from_ , Bruce thought. "Steve…"

The soldier read his mind and pulled his phone out at the same time. "We can have someone trail her, just to make sure Oscorp doesn't try anything."

"And you know they will. They are good at keeping people quiet." Tony put in his two-cents. "Did you run into her? Or did she come to you with this information? Wait, are you two back together?" Peter ignored how Tony added an 'again' to the end of that statement.

"Yes, sort-of, and no," he answered them in sequence. "I was at Oscorp this morning."

Again, his confession was met with silence. Steve, who was in the process of calling someone, stopped mid-dial. Bruce could practically see his hackles going up. Tony didn't know if he should be confused or annoyed. "Thinking of batting for the other team?"

"No," Peter rolled his eyes. "Harry needed to talk to me."

"Peter," Steve's tone of voice left no room for argument. But Peter argued with him anyway.

"I know, Cap."

"If they find out you're Spider-Man."

"I know, Steve. They don't know."

"But if they find out. They wouldn't just let you walk out the front door."

"I know, Steve. Trust me, I know."

"They are looking," Steve kept going. "We know that now."

"I know, without a doubt, that they don't know who Spider-Man is."

"Without a doubt?" This time it was Tony who spoke up.

"Yes."

"Peter, we're just concerned. How do you know that they have no proof?" Bruce got a word in, hoping he could get the conversation back under control.

"If they knew, Harry would have asked for my blood instead of Spider-Man's." Before anyone else could interrupt, he plowed on. "After last night, I was up late playing around with batteries and trying to find a way to modify my web-shooters. Harry called and told me he was dying. He has the same thing that his dad just died from. And it is progressing fast. He found all of this old data on radioactive spiders and now he's convinced that Spider-Man's blood will cure him." Peter was pacing back and forth in front of his teammates. Clearly, none of them knew what to make of it.

"Why did he tell you this? I mean, why does he think you have a connection to Spider-Man?" Steve finally asked.

"Because I take pictures for The Bugle," Peter sighed. "He thinks that I actually know him."

"You do 'actually' know him." Tony laughed.

"So let me get this straight. Harry calls you this morning and tells you he is dying and needs your help." Peter nodded that Steve was correct so far. "You go over to Oscorp where he tells you he's found all this evidence that radioactive spiders can cure whatever illness he has. And asks you to get in touch with Spider-Man?"

"He wants me to get some blood from him." Peter corrected.

"He wants you to get Spider-Man's blood. And your response was?"

"I told him that I didn't know the guy, that the pictures I took of him were from a long range, and that I figured he was a private person who wanted to be left alone."

"I'm sure that went over well." Tony mumbled under his breath.

Peter shook his head. "Not so much. I said I would try to get in touch with him."

"Where does Gwen play into all of this?" Bruce kept the conversation moving.

"I literally ran into her when she was being followed by Oscorp security. She told me what was going on and I distracted them while she made a run for it."

"How did you distract them?" Steve wanted to know.

"I just tripped them up a little bit. Good help is so hard to find these days and those boys sure were clumsy." Peter evaded the question and Steve didn't push the matter.

"Okay, first things first, we need to make sure Gwen is safe." Bruce could see the wheels in Steve's head turn as he triaged the situation. "Next, Coulson needs to know about Max Dillon. We need to see if we can get solid proof of the accident. Something tells me Max isn't going to be in the mood to talk after last night."

"I thought SHIELD missed him last night?" Peter asked.

"We did. But from what you're telling us, I'm willing to bet that Oscorp picked him up and he isn't hiding out anywhere. If we can figure out where he is being held, we might be able to get him back."

"That is assuming they haven't killed him yet." Bruce stated.

"I doubt they would kill him or know how to at this point." Tony disagreed. "I'll bet you anything they'll push him to the breaking point to see what he's really capable of before they do anything."

This statement made everyone in the room extremely uncomfortable. None of them took their job lightly and they all knew that there were people in the world who would do whatever it took to figure out what made superheroes, and villains, tick. "We have to find him." Peter said this to Steve.

"We will. I'll get right on that." Steve promised.

"I'm sure I could crack open their security system." Tony offered but Steve shook his head.

"I appreciate the offer but this is something that SHIELD needs to do. If Oscorp finds out you did it, the fallout would land on Stark Industries and Pepper's reputation. Let me see if we can work it out from my end first. If we need help, I'll let you know." Steve turned his attention back to Peter. "What are we going to do about Harry?"

"He's my friend," Peter simply said. "I want to help him."

"Okay, but we don't have any way of knowing how your blood would affect him. It could kill him," Bruce said.

"I know." Peter took a deep breath. "That's why I thought we would do a dry run first." This statement was directed at Tony and Bruce.

"What do you mean?" Tony asked after a moment of silence.

"I want you to take a sample of my blood and run some tests on it."

"Peter, we aren't experimenting on you." Steve shut down the idea. "That was one of your stipulations for joining the team, remember? You didn't want any blood draw or tests done."

"I'm not saying that you can use me as a guinea pig. I'm saying let's take some blood and see if it is even compatible with a regular person's blood." It was obvious that Peter desperately wanted to save his friend.

"And what if it does work and he gets powers similar to yours?" Tony was thinking through possible outcomes before the results were even in.

"We turn the Spider-Man act into a Spider-Men act." Peter joked. "I don't know. I hadn't really thought about that. Honestly, what does it matter if he were to end up with powers? I know Harry. He's a good guy."

"He's an Osborn," Tony corrected.

"He isn't his dad, Tony." Peter defended his friend. "You've never met Harry."

Steve cut Tony off before he could respond. "Hang on; if this works how would you even get the blood to him? What's your cover story? Spider-Man just said 'Sure! Here is a tube of my blood. Make sure he gets it?' How do you make it so there is no connection between you and Spider-Man?"

"I'll tell Harry that Spider-Man wanted to help. Or maybe I'll go to him as Spider-Man." Peter must have known that his ideas were falling on deaf ears because he started to ramble. "I'll figure something out! Look, he's my best friend. Is there nothing you would do for your best friend?"

Peter struck a nerve with that question. They all knew Steve had lost his best friend in World War II. Tony had flown a nuclear warhead into an alien portal to save the people he loved and millions he did not know. And Bruce had done countless things to save his teammates and the only woman he had ever loved.

"Why don't we just take this one step at a time?" Bruce suggested. "Harry isn't going to die within the next couple of days or weeks, right? Let's run a basic analysis and go from there. There is a really good possibility Spider-Man's blood isn't compatible with anyone else's." The others nodded in agreement.

"I thought we could combine it with someone else's and see if there are any side effects." Peter said. "We need someone with, well, clean blood. So that knocks you three out of the running."

"Why am I out of the running?" Tony protested.

"Because we don't know if you still have palladium in your system." Peter pointed out. "And if you do that could skew the results."

"I see that you have thought out some part of this hare-brained idea." Tony grumbled but had to agree that Peter was right. "So who were you thinking?"

"If she is up for it, I was thinking Pepper. Clint and Natasha have been exposed to all kinds of toxins and poisons. She's the only one I could think of with no track record of toxin contamination."

"Unless you count her strawberry allergy," Tony joked.

"Which I don't," Peter verbally sparred back. "Okay, so that's settled."

Shortly after, Steve left The Tower to start searching for Maxwell Dillon. A SHIELD agent was posted outside Gwen's apartment and Peter was satisfied that she was safe for the time being. Tony and Bruce started analyzing Peter's blood with the promise that all results would remain confidential. Before Peter left, Stark assured him that even if this didn't create a cure for Harry, they would continue to look for an alternative option.

That was the last time Bruce saw Peter before Gwen's death.

Looking back, Bruce still couldn't believe how quickly everything unraveled. Within hours, they had their answer as to how Peter's blood reacted to Pepper's. It destroyed hers, quickly and without restraint. The reaction occurred so quickly that Bruce's stomach turned on itself and Tony's normally steady hands shook for hours afterwards. When they called Peter with the results, he took the news well. He said he hadn't really expected it to work and would figure out something to tell Harry. Bruce never found out how that conversation went.

The next time Bruce heard from Peter it was via phone call. He and Tony were running through simulations when Jarvis put the call through on speaker phone.

"Hey, we don't have any updates on a cure for Harry yet. It's going to take some time, Pete." Tony assumed that's why he would be calling. But Peter quickly corrected him.

"That's not why I'm calling. I need to ask you guys something. Is Bruce there too?" His voice was erratic, like the question would burst out of his mouth at any second. Tony raised an eyebrow but confirmed that Bruce was indeed in the room too. "Did either of you ever meet my parents?" The scientist shared confused expressions. They took so long to respond that Peter asked if they were still there.

"Yeah, we're here. I never met them. I heard plenty about your dad's research but never actually met him." Bruce admitted. There was a time when Richard Parker's name carried a lot of weight in the science community. That may have been because the majority of his experiments were top secret. Tony voiced Bruce's thoughts.

"I didn't meet him either, Pete. I heard a lot about him through the grapevine but from what I knew he mostly stuck to his research and didn't make a show of it. Oscorp is good at keeping secrets." Tony corrected himself, "minus Dr. Connors, Electro, and you."

"What did you hear through the grapevine? Was it good or bad?" Again the question was met with silence. Peter never really talked about his parents. All that Bruce knew about Richard Parker was the field that he specialized in and that he and his wife had died in a plane crash, leaving Peter an orphan.

Tony answered first. "There was a lot of talk that he was making breakthroughs at Oscorp but then very little was published. But that was right before the accident. Why are you asking? If you want, we can look into it some more."

"Forget about it," Peter quickly shut him down. "Don't worry about it. I gotta go." And the call went dead.

Naturally, Peter's weird behavior caught Tony's attention. He asked Jarvis to do a quick search on Richard and Mary Parker and put all of the information in a file for him to read later. As far as Bruce knew, he had yet to open that file. Considering the events of the past several months, it hardly mattered what people thought about The Parkers. But Bruce was still curious; because hours before Gwen's death, he missed a call from Peter. He had worked through the night and sleep crept up on him sometime in the late afternoon. Bruce woke to a missed call and a voicemail. Worried that something else had happened with Harry, he quickly checked the message.

"Hey! It's Peter. I wanted to say sorry for the weird call yesterday. I just found out some crazy stuff about my dad, and that doesn't really matter now because I actually know the truth. And Gwen is leaving and I have to stop her or go with her. I haven't figured that part out yet but I'll let you guys know when I do. I know I'm not making much sense but I'll explain later. I'm going to get her back. Tell Clint he won the bet. I gotta go! I'll try calling back later." He sounded out of breath, like he was running, which he might have been. But Peter sounded so alive in that moment, like all of the pieces had finally fallen back into place. If he was going to make up with Gwen, Bruce could only assume that his life was finally back on track. Peter was his best self when he was with Gwen. Setting his phone back on the work bench, Bruce smirked, shook his head and thought, _it's about time he went after her._

Bruce forced the memory to stop there. Because if he let it continue to play out, he would remember how the power went out a few hours later. And not long after that, he got the call.

Turning his attention back to Peter, Bruce wanted to ask how he was and if there was anything he could do to help. He really wanted to ask what that voicemail meant but wasn't willing to break the moment. Surprisingly, Peter burst the happy science bubble then and there.

"Can I ask you something?" Peter turned from the laptop he was using and looked Bruce in the eye for the first time all day. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"Ask away," he shifted his attention to Peter.

"Do you keep in contact with Betty?" The Other Guy stirred once more at the sound of his ex's name.

"No." He kept his response soft so that Peter would know he wasn't upset by the question. "It is best for the both of us if I'm not around."

Peter nodded that he understood what Bruce was saying. "Lately, I've been wondering if that was the problem with me and Gwen. I couldn't figure out what I wanted. No, I knew that I wanted her but I let the guilt eat me up. She would have been better off if I had left her alone."

"But would she have been happy without you?" Bruce played the devil's advocate. "Could you have been happy without her?"

Peter shrugged. "Does happiness really play into it? She would still be alive if we wouldn't have dated."

"You don't know that." Bruce pointed out. "She could have been hurt at the high school when Dr. Connors attacked if you hadn't been looking out for her. And I do think happiness plays a part. There is a difference between going through the motions and actually living, Pete. You have to be grateful for the time that you had."

"She could have had more time. What about her family? They should have had more time with her." Up until this point, Peter had been level headed about the conversation but Bruce could see the emotion creeping up Peter's face and into his eyes. Moving his stool so they were facing one another, Bruce placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Do you want to know what I think?" He waited until Peter looked up and nodded before continuing. "I think that life isn't fair to anyone. I think that Gwen died young and part of what makes this so hard is that she had so much potential. Who knows the good that she could have done? But I also think that your relationship was not one-sided. She loved you, Pete. It was her decision too. You didn't hold her captive. She wanted the relationship too. And when you tried to distance yourself, she wouldn't give you up either. I understand that you feel guilty. But you have to realize that Gwen was never someone who could be controlled. The distance works for Betty and me because we both understand that this is what's best for all parties involved." He paused for a moment to let those words sink in. And when he continued, he did so gently. "Maybe you should have cut all ties or maybe you should have stayed together. We will never know if either one of those decisions would have worked."

"I should have just made it clear," Peter's voice was heavy with emotion. "If I had made the situation black and white, with no shades of gray, she would have been somewhere safe that night."

Shaking his head, Bruce disagreed. "You don't know that. There were so many variables that went into play that night. For all we know, she could have gone to the power plant to reset the system before you got there. And then she would have been there alone with Max. You have to stop going through the 'what-ifs', Pete. At this point, the 'what-ifs' don't matter. What matters now is that we find a way to live in a way that would make Gwen proud."

"I don't know how to do that." Peter admitted. "I don't know how to let her go."

"I don't think you necessarily have to let her go. Don't be so hard on yourself, Peter. Let yourself grieve. It's okay to be angry and it's okay to be sad. I know Tony is pressuring you to come back but no one is saying you have to. Just take care of yourself for now. Take it one day at a time." After a moment, Bruce added, "And get some sun! Jarvis is very concerned about your complexion."

"You are starting to resemble a vampire, Mr. Parker."

Peter laughed for the second time that day and wiped his eyes quickly. "Okay, I can do that. I wouldn't want to worry Jarvis."

"Thank you, Sir. At my age, I don't need any added stress." Sensing that the conversation was over, Bruce gave Peter some distance and returned to his work.

"I should probably head back home." Peter picked up the backpack he had discarded earlier. "Aunt May will wonder where I am."

"Thanks for your help today," Bruce said. Peter smirked but just nodded in response. Yeah, he knew that Bruce hadn't needed a fresh set of eyes. "Before you go, can I ask you something?"

"Tee it up."

"That voicemail you left me a few months ago. What was that about? Did you find something out about your dad?"

Peter thought for a second before the memory came back to him. "Oh, yeah, I did. I found out that he was the main researcher on the radioactive spider project at Oscorp. He used his own DNA as a bridge between the spider's DNA and human's DNA."

Bruce was in awe. "That's brilliant. So that's why the spider bite didn't kill you. His DNA recognized yours and safely bonded with it."

"Yep. Crazy coincidence, right?"

"I don't know." Bruce pondered aloud. "Are there ever crazy coincidences in science? That sounds like one hell of a story. Maybe you could tell me the full version sometime?" Bruce had been looking for a way to invite Peter to come back. This seemed like a pretty safe excuse.

"Sure, I've got your number." The look Peter gave him reassured Bruce that they were on the same page. "I'll see you around, Big Guy." And with that, he was gone.

"Hey, Jarvis?"

"Yes, Dr. Banner?"

"As far as anyone knows…"

"You did not have any visitors this evening and you were extremely productive. I do believe your most recent experiment is complete."

"Thanks, Jarvis."

"My pleasure, Sir."

A/N: Constructive feedback is always appreciated! The conclusion will be up tomorrow evening!


	5. Acceptance

A/N: Here is the conclusion! I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. This idea has been bouncing around in my head for almost two years. It's taken quite a while to figure out the details but I'm pretty proud of the end product. Like I said in Part One, this was written with Andrew Garfield's Peter in mind. I can't wait to see Civil War tomorrow! EEK! With that being said, if I write any more stories they might be specifically from the MCU. I have a feeling the plot bunny will start jumping around again soon. If you have any ideas for one-shots or stories, let me know. On with the story!

* * *

"Do you believe me when I say

Tonight won't last for long?

And soon it will be gone

Whenever you call me, whenever you need me

Wherever you wander until you see me

I'll be waiting, I'll be waiting for you"

\- Michael Franti and Spearhead

Acceptance: Five months after

The afternoon was indescribably beautiful. Something about the clear blue sky and shining sun made Natasha Romanoff want to take a walk outside. Even with a window separating her from the fresh air, she could almost feel a cool breeze graze her skin. Days like these were meant to be appreciated and noticed. She had a pile of reports that needed to be finished but it seemed sinful to ignore a day like this. And with a ledger as stained as hers was, she didn't need to add any more to it.

Natasha's lifestyle had taken her all over the world and as a result she had witnessed all sorts of afternoons. Some afternoons were cold and bleak and left no room for imagination. Most were unremarkable and few stood out in her mind as memorable. Sadly, there were more than enough memories that she wished she could forget forever. With a sigh, she pushed that thought into the back of her mind. Today was not a day to dwell on the bad.

No one had ever accused Natasha of being an optimist or a dreamer. She dealt with facts and evidence. She wouldn't consider herself to be a pessimist either. But afternoons like this one could make her hopeful. Hopeful for what she didn't know but it was hard to fight down the feeling that today was a good day. The day was so welcoming that Natasha felt like she could reach out and hold it in her hand. It seemed like the people of New York shared her sentiment too. Large crowds of people moved in hoards, hoping to make the most of this afternoon.

Tapping her finger on the window she was looking out, she thought that the lack of activity inside the building also contributed to the beauty of the day. So far, she and Thor were the only ones moving about. With Clint as his guide, Steve had taken to spending extended amounts of time at various SHIELD bases on the eastern seaboard. Tony and Bruce had a new experiment up and running, which meant that they worked odd hours. By her observation, she noted that they typically worked for twelve to eighteen hours before crashing to catch up on lost sleep. The time of day didn't actually matter. More often than not, they were going to bed as she was getting up for her morning workout. Actually, now that she thought about it, it was pretty out of the ordinary for her to be spending the morning with just Thor. The God of Thunder never missed an opportunity to spend time with Jane and when he found out she was presenting at a conference in the city he jumped at the chance to see her (and everyone else). The only sound in the room came from the television program he was currently watching.

'Maybe I can talk him into going for a walk,' she considered. He was getting better at blending in and with the right clothes few people, if any, would recognize him. Since courting Jane and working with the rest of the team, Thor had gotten better about 'dressing down' when the cape and hammer weren't needed. Even if a few people recognized him, what did it matter? Details like that couldn't spoil a nice afternoon in the city.

"What kind of creature is that?" Only a comment like that could have brought Natasha out of her thoughts. Turning to see what he was talking about, she saw that his eyes were glued to the television. A local news station was running a story about a disturbance downtown. The word live was etched in the upper corner of the screen. Thor waited patiently for her to answer, but Natasha was speechless. She had no idea what she was looking at. It didn't look like any animal she had ever seen. Actually, it looked more robotic than anything else. After a moment, her brain started to comprehend what she was seeing. It seemed as if the both of them were right. It was a robotic rhino. She told him just that.

"Ahh," Thor nodded, as if it all made sense. Natasha didn't share his sentiment. "This is similar to an invention that the Man of Iron would create."

"If he were stupid enough to, yes." She mumbled under her breath. Taking the remote from the coffee table, she turned up the volume and caught the end of the report.

"…Officials cannot verify how Sytsevich managed to get his hands on the advanced weaponry. It is still unknown how he escaped from prison earlier this week. Right now, police are making every effort to contain the situation and urge the public to stay out of the line of fire." At the word fire, gunshots peppered the police cruisers and the reporter shrieked and ducked for cover. The newsfeed moved to an aerial view that showed the criminal stomping down the street towards a line of pedestrians and cop cars.

"There is a man inside that suit of armor?" His brow crinkled with anger and Natasha saw his hand twitch. He didn't like this anymore than she did.

"Yeah, he is a criminal who broke out a prison a couple days ago." She didn't add that Peter had been the one to put his behind bars, which meant that revenge was most likely on this guy's mind. So much for going for a nice walk, she thought.

Thor seemed to be reading her mind. "Will they require our assistance?" Five months ago, she would have said no. Peter would have already been at the scene, cracking jokes and skulls at the same time. But a lot had changed in five months and the team had learned to pick up the slack in his absence.

"Most likely," Natasha said. "Yours more than mine."

"Then I will provide assistance," he quickly got off the couch and summoned Mjolnir to him.

"Jarvis, can you wake up Tony?" Natasha sprinted to the elevator. "Tell him we have a situation downtown. Give me a second, Thor. I just need to get some more ammo."

"Wait!" The tone of her teammate's command stopped her dead in her tracks. She whipped around to see him staring at the screen again. Had NYPD found a way to stop him? No, he was still standing in the middle of the street but the shooting had ceased. A small figure in red and blue stood between the mechanical rhino and the police. "The Man of Spiders has returned!"

It certainly looked that way but there was one small problem. That Spider-Man was too small. Natasha didn't need the news reporter to tell her that was a kid in a costume. Thor's face fell when he realized his mistake and the time it had cost them. Not wasting another moment, Natasha quickly located a few weapons and joined Thor on the balcony. But before they could take off, another voice stopped them. Hammer raised in the air and one arm around Natasha, Thor was preparing to take flight when the news reporter shouted that Spider-Man had been spotted for the first time in months.

Dropping his arm back to his side, Thor caught Natasha's eye before they both sprinted back inside. What she saw made her heart jump up into her throat. It was Peter. This time she was sure of it. The pair watched the scene unfold in silence. After exchanging a few words with the little boy in the Spider-Man costume, he took the megaphone from a police officer and gave Sytsevich a chance to surrender (which he quickly shot down). From there, it was all business. The fight did not last long and after a few moments Natasha commented to Jarvis that he could let Tony sleep. Their services clearly weren't needed.

"I am always impressed with Peter's fighting abilities." Thor said and Natasha couldn't help but agree. They all had unique fighting styles but Peter's abilities made his fights look more like a choreographed dance. His enhanced reflexes allowed him to move and anticipate in a way that the rest of them could not. He didn't look as sharp as he had five months ago but that was to be expected. Grief and lack of practice would make even the most proficient fighter a little sloppy.

Not taking her eyes off the screen, she circled the couch and sank into the cushions. Thor followed her lead and they watched in silence as Peter danced and twirled around Sytsevich. The man controlling the robot didn't stand a chance and he must have known it. After a few minutes he stopped focusing on Peter and shifted his attention to the crowds on the sidelines. Natasha wasn't worried, though. Peter wouldn't let anyone get hurt, not with the way he was fighting. He might not have been at the top of his game but he was focused. You didn't have to look into Peter's eyes (not that you could with the mask on) to know that his attention was solely on taking The Rhino down.

Neither Natasha nor Thor spoke while the battle raged on. The Rhino's size was the only edge he had over Spider-Man. Oddly enough, it was also his undoing. Once Peter got close enough, he was able to use his web-shooters to trip up the robot's block-like feet. With a crash that shook the camera and everything in a 6 block radius, Sytsevich was finally neutralized. They watched as the convict was pulled from the rhino skeleton and handcuffed. As soon as he was placed in the back of a cop car, Peter moved to leave only to be stopped by multiple officers. Natasha felt herself tense and waited to see how the scene would unfold. It was no secret that the New York Police Department didn't like Spider-Man. But judging by the hand shaking going on, they had decided to look the other way this time. It never ceased to amaze her how local officials could pick and choose when they wanted to be buddy-buddy with Peter. They were perfectly content to let him make multiple trips into a burning building or stop a foe like Sytsevich. But as soon as he started helping out with armed robberies or other 'police' matters, Peter was branded as reckless and egotistical. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Not for the first time that day, Thor brought her from her thoughts. "I knew he would return. He just needed time to heal."

"I was beginning to wonder," she admitted.

It had been a long five months without Peter.

Somewhere along the line, they had become a family. And when Peter walked away after Gwen's death, he left a gaping hole that they all struggled to fill. Mostly, they had thrown themselves into work. It was more noticeable now than ever before. Sure Bruce and Tony worked odd hours, but now they didn't seem to take as much joy in their work. And there were some days that Tony just sat in his lab and didn't work on anything. On more than one occasion, she or Bruce had caught him staring off into space for hours at a time. Steve and Clint were no different. As a general rule, Steve was rarely in New York these days. The argument between him and Peter had hit home and The Super Soldier was bound and determined to improve SHIELD. He worked tirelessly with Phil to get agents into Oscorp. Five months ago, Oscorp had replace HYDRA as enemy number one. At the same time, she and Clint picked up as many missions as possible. Sometimes it was just easier to sink into your alias than to deal with your own grief. Out of all of them, Thor was probably the only one who accepted Gwen's death and dealt with it in a healthy way. That's not to say that he felt nothing about the situation. He had mourned Gwen just like the rest of them but he also knew when to let go and move on. And it seemed as if Peter had finally learned that lesson too.

A jaw-splitting smile broke out over Thor's face. "Perhaps he will come for a visit?"

This comment made Natasha frown. Before today, she seriously doubted that Peter would agree to work with them again. Nothing that she had seen that sunny afternoon would make her reconsider that thought. He might have put the suit back on but that didn't mean that he was willing to team up again. As far as she knew, he hadn't stepped foot inside The Tower since his blow-up with Tony. She hadn't been around for that one but knew it had been ugly.

"I don't know," she finally spoke. "I don't see why he would." News program Peter waved good-bye to the police and civilians before leaving. The camera swiveled to track his movements. He was heading in their direction but Natasha wasn't willing to get her hopes up.

"Why wouldn't he?" Thor countered. Natasha rolled her eyes. He was spending too much time with Clint and Tony. "I am sure he misses us just as much as we miss him."

"I'm sure he misses the two of us," she agreed. "I doubt he misses Stark."

"They had a disagreement, but that is all." It was Thor's turn to dismiss her statement. "We are, I think, more than a team. We are brothers and sisters in arms. We are family. Family forgives one another." The last statement was spoken with a hint of sadness and Natasha knew he was thinking of his brother, Loki.

This time, she drew him from his thoughts. "Tell you what, if he shows up, I'll buy you a week's worth supply of Poptarts."

This brought the smile back to his face. "And if he does not, I will," he trailed off while he thought of something Natasha might like.

"You will side with me when we pick the next movie for movie night." She filled in the gap for him. She was tired of being out-voted. A girl could only watch Lord of the Rings or Rocky so many times.

"I will agree with your movie choice," he agreed. They shook on it and settled in to see who would win the bet. With a slight smile, she un-holstered the guns from her ankle and hip and laid them on the coffee table. Looks like the day turned out to be as good as she had hoped it would.

Natasha was on the verge of asking how long they should wait when a light thump drew their attention. And, just like old times, there he was. As if nothing had ever happened, Peter was scaling the glass window looking for a point of entry.

"Any flavor in particular?"

"Those combination packs are quite nice. Three or four different types in one box," Thor said. Natasha would consider the money well spent. She watched Peter maneuver his way onto the landing pad just off of the common area. The doors slid open and then closed behind him. Jarvis automatically tinted the windows for privacy.

"Thanks, Jarvis." Peter said and made his way over to them. Natasha didn't help create Peter's uniform but she could tell that this was an older model, possibly one of the first that Tony had made. The material was spandex and looked worn. It didn't fit just right. She could see where he had lost muscle mass.

He waited until the mask was off before addressing them. "I… uh… was in the neighborhood and thought I'd drop by." He fiddled with the mask in his hands for a second before continuing. Peter scanned the room, no doubt looking for signs of Tony.

"He's asleep," Natasha answered his unspoken question.

"Pulled an all nighter?" The tension in Peter's arms and shoulders relaxed some.

"Yeah, him and Bruce both," she said. "They started some new project the other day and have been working around the clock ever since."

"Any idea what they're working on?" Peter's interest surprised Natasha. While it had been a while since she'd seen Peter, she hadn't expected him to be this chatty.

"You know I don't speak Nerd, Peter." She smirked and earned a soft laugh in return. Damn, this felt good. It had been so long since she had seen Peter let alone talked to him. "Go take a look for yourself."

Peter hesitated for a split second before shaking his head. "I just stopped by to get something."

"I thought you were in the neighborhood." Thor spoke for the first time. He stood and offered his hand in greeting. Peter smirked and accepted the gesture. Instead of releasing his hand, Thor pulled Peter closer and clasped a hand on his shoulder. "It is so wonderful to see you again. It has been far too long." And because he was the only one who could pull it off, he added, "How are you, my friend?"

Internally, Natasha braced herself for Peter's response. That was a loaded question. Peter seemed to think for a minute before answering. "I'm... better." He finally said. Natasha could tell it was an honest answer. He didn't lie and say that he was okay. He didn't brush his feelings aside and say he was fine. He just admitted that he was better than he had been. And that was the best answer she could have hoped to hear.

"Yes," Thor agreed with a nod. "You seem better. I am glad to hear it."

Before the moment could turn awkward, Natasha steered the conversation in a different direction. "Thor and I were just thinking we would get a snack." She said as she headed toward the kitchen. A smile graced her lips when she heard two sets of feet follow behind her. The pair continued to chat as she fixed herself a sandwich, only turning her attention back to them once she was done. She didn't need to offer to get them anything. They both knew they were welcome to the fridge. Upon seeing Peter perched on the counter, she almost pinched herself. It was almost as if the past five months hadn't happened.

"Speaking of being in the neighborhood, what are you doing here?" Peter directed this question to Thor, who was munching on a strawberry Pop-Tart.

"Jane Foster is speaking at a conference in the city today. I decided to take the opportunity to visit and see everyone."

"Ahhhh," Peter nodded wisely. "The fair Jane Foster is in town. I thought I heard that somewhere. Any fun plans while she's in town?"

"I am to meet her afterwards and we will enjoy a nice meal together." Natasha was surprised he didn't sigh afterwards. His grin was broad enough to make both her and Peter smile to. Thor and Jane's relationship was so adorable that it bordered sickening. Natasha had never met an Asgardian woman but she could not picture another female (Earthling or not) who better suited the God of Thunder. While he was fierce in battle, he was really a big teddy bear in most other situations and a romantic at heart. Her background in science and his history of mythology blended well and they all agreed that it was only a matter of time before he popped the question.

"Gonna take her some flowers?" Peter asked. Thor's smile faltered for a moment. Apparently, that thought hadn't crossed his mind.

"Flowers?"

"Yeah!" Peter said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "This is a big conference, right? It's important to her career?"

"Oh yes, it is very important. She has been preparing for quite some time." His face turned thoughtful for a moment and then his eyes twinkled. "She should be treated to flowers. That is a great idea, Peter."

"What kind are you going to get?" Again, his smile twitched and dropped. "I'm sure she would like anything you get her." Peter was quick to recover. "What kind does she like?" Once more, Thor seemed to panic. He didn't know which flowers were her favorite.

While it was fun to watch the pair debate flower preferences, Natasha thought it best to jump in before Thor's ego was too badly bruised. "I'm partial to sunflowers."

"Sunflowers," He scratched his head while he thought. She caught Peter's eye and both tried not to laugh. Only Thor would over think something as basic as flowers. The man could orchestrate and carry-out complex battle plans but discuss dinner plans and he was lost.

"Gwen was a sucker for roses." Peter supplied with a laugh. After a moment, he seemed to realize what he said and frowned for a moment. He considered his next words carefully. "I don't know where that came from." Natasha wasn't sure if he wanted to continue with that line of thinking. But before she could change the subject, Thor ran with it.

"Did she?" He seemed desperate for advice. "What color?"

Peter leaned his torso back and rested his head on the cabinet behind him. Lost in his thoughts, he said, "You know, the crazier the color, the better. There is this place downtown that sells blue and dark purple roses. They are pretty expensive but worth it. She loved those." He brought his eyes back to Thor and added, "But she also believed in the timelessness of a red rose."

"Is that so?" Thor's worries evaporated.

"Absolutely," Peter confirmed. "She used to tell me that there was nothing classier than a red rose.

"Classy and timeless," Thor tried the words over on his tongue. "Just like Jane Foster." He smiled again.

"Just like Jane Foster," Peter agreed.

"It is settled then! I shall get red roses." He finished the last half of his snack in one bite.

"Good choice," Natasha gave her seal of approval.

"And next time, I shall bring her some exotic flowers from Asgard" He added as an afterthought.

"Can you take those through customs?" Peter quipped.

Thor tilted his head in confusion. "Customs?"

"Nevermind," He hopped off the counter and helped himself to a bottle of water from the fridge.

"I should be on my way," Thor said. "Her lecture ends soon." He considered his next words wisely. "It was very nice to see you, Peter Parker."

"It was good to see you too." Peter smirked. "Tell Jane I said hi."

"I will. She will be sorry she missed you. Perhaps you will stop by the next time she is in town?"

"Yeah," Peter nodded. "You know how to get ahold of me."

Thor nodded and paused again before continuing. He had something to say and both Peter and Natasha could tell it would be heavy. He was going to bring up Gwen but didn't know how to. "We didn't have an opportunity to speak at the funeral. And I do not know that this is the proper time or place but I wanted to say that I believe we will see Gwen Stacy again." Natasha felt her stomach drop. She figured he would bring her up but wasn't expecting him to talk about the funeral. Judging by the look on Peter's face, he hadn't been prepared either. "We will see her in the afterlife. Gwen Stacy was a fierce warrior. I have no doubt that she is now in Valhalla with the other warriors. She earned her place there and had been showered with praise. And we will see her again. She will be waiting for you." Considering how strong the God of Thunder was, he had an uncanny ability to be exceedingly gentle when the situation called for it. She, and Peter, knew that he was giving Gwen the highest compliment an Asgardian could.

She watched Peter struggled for a response. His eyes misted over but no tears fell. He settled for a sharp nod and finally responded. "I'm going to do everything I can to meet her on the other side. Someday."

"Not too soon," Thor cautioned.

"Not too soon," Peter agreed once again. He chuckled when Thor engaged him in a very many hug. They broke off after a moment and Thor bid Natasha farewell before leaving. The two remaining teammates eyed each other cautiously.

"I'm not hugging you." She stated, breaking the tension in the room.

"Oh, thank Odin," he released a breath. "I can't handle much more of that."

"He really missed you, if you couldn't tell."

"I'm starting to get that impression. He's the only one who missed me?" He teased her. It was always fun to pick on Natasha. She typically gave back as good as she got. She didn't disappoint this time either.

"No, Clint and Stark have been moping around too." She smirked and leaned back on the counter. This was easy; bantering back and forth was a pastime for the two of them.

Peter snorted sarcastically. "Oh yeah, I'm sure. Everyone doing okay?" He added after a moment.

"Yeah, we're good. Just staying busy," she said. "SHIELD is in the process of opening a couple new facilities on the East Coast so everyone is working on that."

"You guys are expanding?" He sounded surprised.

"Among other things, yes," her response was vague but sufficient. They both knew that there were some things she couldn't talk about. "Did you say you were picking something up?"

"Yeah, Bruce was holding onto something for me. I was just going to run down to the lab and get it." Natasha wasn't surprised. She had an inkling that the two had spoken. Out of everyone on the team, Peter would be most likely to reach out to Bruce. He was the least likely to intrude on anyone's privacy. Peter would avoid everyone else on principle alone. Everyone on the team had varying degrees of nosiness with Stark on one end of spectrum and Banner on the other.

"I was thinking of going for a walk. It's too nice a day to be inside." She invited him along without necessarily asking.

He considered for a minute. "Meet you downstairs in five?" Natasha knew that would give him enough time to throw his street clothes over his Spider-Man colors and make it look like he was casually strolling towards The Tower.

A few minutes later, Natasha met Peter Parker on the street and they wandered aimlessly around the area. They chatted about nothing and spent a fair amount of time just taking in the weather. Sometime later, the pair ordered off of a food truck and settled into a park bench.

Peter finished one of his tacos before starting a conversation. "The weather was just like this on graduation day." Natasha nodded but wondered where he was going with the topic. "I was late for it, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember. Mafia vs Oscorp truck. You almost showed up with your mask on." She, Tony, Pepper, and Bruce had been present for the ceremony. Like May Parker, they all started to stress that he wasn't going to walk across the stage when his name was called. But he did show up, right in the nick of time. And swooped Gwen into a kiss that made Tony wolf-whistle and May blush to her roots.

"I missed Gwen's valedictorian speech."

Oh. Natasha blinked. Now she saw where he was going with this.

"It's funny. Gwen was going to show me the speech later that night but we broke up instead."

Natasha took another bite of her hotdog.

"I never got to see it."

She washed the food down with a swig of Diet Pepsi.

"Until this morning, when I found it on a jump drive in my bedroom."

She wiped her mouth with a napkin.

"Do you have anything to say on the matter?"

She considered for a moment before saying, "Stark really has no boundaries, does he?"

Peter was caught off guard and laughed at her comment. "Of all the people, I would almost expect it to be Stark. But he's not nearly subtle enough to pull it off." When remained quiet, he continued the conversation. "I'm not mad. When did you do it?"

"Does it matter?" She countered.

"No," he admitted. "I was just curious. How did you get a copy?"

"Gwen gave it to me not long after you broke up." He turned his body towards her. "I think she was looking for you when she dropped it off. She asked me to hold onto it in case you ever brought it up and wanted to see it. When she passed, I wasn't sure what to do with it. So I held onto it for a while."

"It's a really good speech." Peter said softly.

"We thought she had a compelling message." She chose her next words wisely. "Did you get what you needed from it?"

The corners of his mouth tipped up slightly and he nodded. "Yeah, I did." She squeezed his hand briefly before returning to her lunch. They fell into a comfortable quiet while they finished their food.

The longer the pair sat on the bench; they started to notice a trend. The crowds were all talking about one thing. The people of New York were buzzing about the return of Spider-Man. She couldn't make out every word being said but it seemed like everyone saw his return as a good sign. It made the people hopeful that someone else was keeping watch on the city. Peter no doubt picked up more of the conversations than she did. After finishing his food, he sighed contently, closed his eyes, leaned back on the park bench, and waited patiently for her to finish her lunch. She took her time but Peter didn't seem to notice. He seemed more than willing to spend the entire afternoon on that park bench.

Natasha didn't share her feelings very often. She, unlike Thor, wasn't the type to 'hug it out'. Thankfully, her partner in crime had become an expert at reading her and some of the time they could have complete conversations without speaking a word. But in that moment, she had an overwhelming impulse to tell Peter just how much she, the team, and the city had missed him. He might not have thought too much about his five month absence but everyone else struggled to fill the gaping hole he had left. Catching a glimpse of the red and blue suit was enough to fill millions of people with some degree of hope. She chewed her lip and considered what she wanted to say.

"I know." Peter startled her out of her thoughts. She blinked and turned her head to see him staring at her. "We don't have to talk about it. I know, Nat." He smirked and squeezed her hand, not unlike how she had done to him earlier. A weight, that Natasha hadn't known she'd been carrying, lifted off of her chest. Her soul felt a little lighter. She could breathe a little easier. Some of the guilt she had been carrying left. Natasha hadn't agreed with Tony's tactics to get Peter back but she had harbored some guilt for not doing more to reach out to him. She'd had faith that he would find the jump drive but was that enough? Judging by the way he was acting, it had been what he'd needed.

She held his hand for a brief moment before letting it go and turning her attention back to the beautiful day. If she allowed herself to reflect on the past, she would be amazed at how far she'd come in life. There was a time when Natasha Romanoff trusted no one, not even herself. In her short life, she had transformed. She had started out in The Red Room and somehow managed to become an Avenger. And in that time, she finally accepted that she couldn't do it alone. She didn't want to. She now had a family that she could depend on and trust. That was worth more than she could fathom. On that park bench, in the city, during an absolutely incredibly gorgeous day, her heart finally felt full. She wasn't a dreamer but she couldn't help but think that everything had finally come full circle. They'd been tested but in the end her family was back together. The last piece of the puzzle had fallen into place and Peter was back where he belonged.

"So I was thinking," Peter said. "When your schedule slows down some, maybe we could start training again? I'm not sure if you noticed but I was a little sloppy earlier."

"I wasn't going to say anything," Natasha teased. Her eyes held a mischievous gleam. Sparring with Peter was fun. He might have a few tricks up his sleeve but he was still no match for The Black Widow when he didn't have his web-shooters on him.

"Please don't look at me like that," he edged away from her.

"Like what," her tone was innocent.

"Like I'm your next meal!"

"You did look pretty slow today. Could be an interesting match," she teased.

"I take it back. I'll ask Clint."

"He won't take easy on you." She scolded, before adding, "chicken."

"I know he won't," Peter snorted. "But he's not nearly as scary as you."

"I'll let him know you feel that way."

"Please don't." He laughed at his current predicament. Which master assassin did he want to face first? It was like asking a man on death row if he wanted to ride the lightening or die by lethal injection.

"This is going to be fun." Natasha couldn't wipe the smirk off her face. She had been accused of playing with her food a time or two.

"Tomorrow," Peter shook his head. "Let's just enjoy the day. Let me have one last meal."

"Deal," she agreed. She wouldn't hurt him, too badly. But she also wouldn't let him slack off, either. The last thing she wanted was for him to get hurt in a fight because he wasn't prepared. However, Peter was right. They could start tomorrow.

Today, they would enjoy every minute of the blue sky day. And each other's company. After all, it had been far too long.

Sitting on that park bench, they had nothing but time. And neither one of them had any intention of wasting a minute of it.

A/N: Please let me know what you thought. Did you think any of them out of character? :) And let me know if you have any suggestions for stories you'd like to see. Until next time, happy reading!


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